"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

"Hot In Herre" - Nelly, 2002

 Why are there 2 r's in "Hot In Herre?"  Because Nelly loves double entrendre?  That's the way it sounds when the St. Louis Missouri native says "here" and because it's really hot.....really hot indeed. [1]

What is not a double entendre is the success of this song from Nelly's sophomore record, Nellyville, in 2002.  In addition to being Nelly's first no.1 hit, it won the first Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo performance in 2003 (after the category was split to recognize different genders for two years).  [2]  The legacy of the song continues to live on in 2020: as a timeless favorite, nostalgic club classic and even a global warming anthem!?! [3]  I know the guy loves multiple meanings, but I'm sure he wasn't considering global warming in 2002.....was he hanging with Al Gore?

June 29th - August 10th, 2002: "Hot In Herre" by Nelly lasts 7 weeks at no.1!

The only unexpected data in the form is the intro.  12.5 measures works out to be 4 measures in 4/4 followed by a single measure of 2/4 in the first segment.  This is followed by 8 measures of a loop that will repeat for every other section in the song.  Coincidentally, we saw similar intro stats ten years earlier in Madonna's "This Used to Be My Playground."

The rest of the form is standard fare.  Two double verses followed by a chorus makes up two sequences of AAB.  We get a bridge (C) followed by a single verse and double chorus, ABB (fancy inverse!).  The end is a repeat of the bridge, no longer acting like a bridge, but a fitting way to close out the tune with the secondary hook.  

Chord Progressions

"Hot In Herre" uses the same 8 measure chord progression throughout the entire song.  The chord progression is comprised of 4 chords, 2 of which are only different by 1 note.  

The intro actually deviates from the main progression, slightly condensing the longer version:

Intro - meas. 1-5

The lower line, reinforced by the bass plays mostly E, approaching the downbeats with a min.7 D.  The electric keyboard starts with an Emin7 chord, which is a G major triad on top of the E in the bass.  The triad moves down a 1/2 step to F#, still over the E.  We hear F# again, which modulates down again, this time to F.  The cycle repeats in measures 2-4, accenting an Emin triad on beat 4.  The measure of 2/4 creates space before the intro continues for another 8 measures, introducing the primary loop.  

On first blush, I see the intro as:

Emin7   F#/E /      F/E  

i             II     /       bII

I started toying around with other harmonic implications.  The Emin7 could be considered G/E, making G the III.   Thinking about F#/E in terms of B7:  F#, A#, C#, E is F#7, which is V/B....so the F#/E could be V/V?  The chord could also spell BMaj7sus add 9, a highly unusual sub for a V chord.  So the chord could play out as:

Emin7   F#/E /      F/E  

III         V/V  /       bII

In any case, F#/E has a similar pull to Emin/Emin7 that F/E does.   Notes either want to resolve up or down to the closest chord tones by 1/2 step or whole step.  We see an equal distribution of those resolutions when stacked next to one another:

I love the first 5 measures of the intro and more readily connect the song with them than with the 8 measure loop that follows for the next 3 minutes.  It foreshadows all the chords we will hear during the tune and gives a sense of the harmonic motion to come.  It also presents all the material in a slightly different manner than we will see once it gets going.  This is the perfect introduction for the song!

As mentioned, the 8 measure loop uses all the chords from the intro and is repeated until the last note.

Primary Chord Loop

This time, Nelly starts off with Emin, instead of the Emin7 sound, played in a lower octave.  The chords slide between Emin and F/E three times before we heard the Emin7 (G/E), resolved down a half step to F#/E.  The rhythm of the chords, borrow in part from the intro, happens on the + of beat 2 each time.

The lower part, which is doubled by the bass and kick drum, plays the down beat of each measure to solidify the groove.  We hear consistent accents on (3)+ with varying syncopation to fill out beat 4.  

There is also a higher, guitar like chord syncopation woven in.  This part consistently plays a 16th-8th rest-16th figure on beat 3 and beat 2, every two measures.  It comes and goes during the verses and is even exposed at the start of the third chorus.  The higher pitch sits nicely in the balance and it doesn't compete with other syncopations.

The drum groove that accompanies all of this is highly syncopated as well:

drum groove sample

The cowbell, marked with "x", plays an offbeat, Latin like pattern that aligns with the higher chord stabs from above, beats 3 and 2, every two measures.  The bass and snare, marked by the lower downward facing stems, play beats 1 and 2 consistently and double the syncopation on beat (3)+, filling out beat 4 in a few different ways as the tune progresses.  The high hat, stems up at the top, provides 8th and 16ths to lock in the pulse, opening on (3)+ with the other instruments.  

I love when a song has so many rhythmic events occurring simultaneously.  It seems like it would be too busy, but arranged correctly, it works out nicely.  This approach also allows one or two parts to drop out without having the whole thing fall apart.  

Melody

 

The first 5 measures of the intro are really unique.  The keyboard hints at what the song has in store, but never really returns to the pattern verbatim.  Nelly's vocal in the section functions similarly.

Intro Vocal - meas. 1-5

We get a tease of the lyrics as Nelly gives us the forecast.  Melodically, he hints at a common intervallic motion to come, D-E (min7-root), but adds in C#, the 6th of E!  This interval only appears a few other times throughout the song.  It's interesting that he leads with it.

After we hear the looped chord progression, Nelly comes in strong with a memorable first verse:

Verse 1 - meas.1-8

Most of the pitches move between D and E, reinforcing the E minor tonality.  He occasionally makes his way up to F#, though the almost rapid spoken delivery makes that note feel vague.  The melodic theme of the verse is definitely steps moving between root and minor 7.

Rhythmically, measures 1 and 2 share characteristics, as do measures 3 and 4, containing similar entrances and syncopation.  Measures 5 and 6 have more space than previous measures before he kicks on the overdrive for measure 7, winding down in measure 8, once again pounding out D's and E's.

Verse 1 - meas. 9-16

  Measures 9 and 10 retread the (1)+ entrance from measures 5 and 6.  We even get a slight dip to C# in measure 10.  Measures 11 and 12 are very catchy, mostly because they use similar rhythm and he finally changes pitch, going up to the G, the minor 3rd.  In fact, the "bustin' loose" melody is directly borrowed from Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers 1978 funk classic.  Measures 13-16 return to the D-E theme, introducing a new syncopation on beat 1.  The final pickup into the chorus, once again, features C#.

It's worth mentioning the verse has a lot of "uh's" and "ahhs."  They almost act like a percussion part in their own right, interjecting on up beats, often doubling some of the instrumental parts.  We continue to see this in verse 2, which is similar to verse 1 in length and delivery.  Verse 3 is only 8 measures and consistently delivers rapid rhythmic assaults.

Verse 3

I like the rhythmic structure of this verse, specifically how every other measure measure (except m.7) starts after beat 1 with 8th note syncopation and builds to faster 16th note runs in the next measure.  Nelly starts off with the familiar E-D interval, even visiting G a few times, before he stays on D for the faster passages.  It gives this entire verse a feeling a of anticipation, priming up the listener for the inevitable chorus repeats to end the tune.

In contrast to the longer, faster flowing verses, the chorus comes in with two prominent hooks and a new melodic flavor: 

chorus

Nelly kicks things off with familiar intervals, expanding up the minor 3rd with both interjections and as part of the primary melody.  After 2 measures, we finally hear a new melodic structure and timbre, a response sang by Dani Stevenson.  She alternates between G and F# (over the F/E chord) a few times before going up to the A, a brand new sound for the song up to this point.  Her last note on "off" is a somewhat flat G, or a sharp F#?  It veers close to spoken territory and despite the tonal deficiency, the delivery is perfect for the style and message.....

I do like how this 4 measure segment, repeated twice to yield an 8 measure chorus, contrasts with the longer, less repetitive verses.  The entire chorus is one big hook which stands out even more with the contrasting vocal timbres.  The grunting squeals of delight, introduced in the verse, elevate to even more prominence in the chorus when Nelly interjects five "uh's" on the upbeats, underneath the female vocal.  He is obviously into nudity!

The bridge presents another catchy melody, blending elements of the verse and chorus:

Bridge

We hear lots of 16th note runs, mostly moving from D to an eventual E, accompanied by syncopated "uh's."  Like the chorus, it is very repetitive but does manage to change the words slightly.  We also hear the high G incorporated on "let it hang all out."  This part works well as a bridge and an outro, blending the fast rhythms of the verse and the repetitive catchiness of the chorus.  

Lyrics

The lyrics, like the music, are redundant, simply stated yet intriguing all at the same time.  Nelly pushes the envelope with double entendre and masked slang throughout.  Consider the chorus as a prime example of this:

It's getting hot in herre, so take off all your clothes

I am getting so hot I wanna take my clothes off

 I'm willing to bet everyone has made a similar statement during an extended heatwave.  Logically, it makes sense to shed the extra layers of clothing when the weather is too hot in order to cool yourself and find relief.  I seriously doubt that't what Nelly has in mind though.  

The verses continue to expose his sexual appetite: 

I'm waitin for the right time to shoot my steez (you know)

Waitin for the right time to flash them keys, then uhh

Steez: the quality of being effortlessly stylish or fashionable......we discover the keys are for:

Check it, got it locked at the top of the Fo' Seasons

Penthouse, roof top, birds I'm feedin

   

 "Fo' Seasons" refers to the Four Seasons luxury hotel.  "Birds" could be the British slang for women or Nelly is just expressing his passion for urban ornithology?  He goes on to make a lewd threat:

Cause I feel like bustin loose

And I feel like touchin you, uh uh

And can't nobody stop the juice  

What does "steez" mean again?

My two favorite moments come in verse 3.  First, this question and answer sequence:

I got a friend with a pole in the basement (what?)

I'm just kidding like Jason (oh)  

I imagine the basement pole is a stripper pole?  According the entertaining Genius annotations for this song, "kidding like Jason" refers to the NBA player Jason Kidd.  I'm not sure about his past dealings with strip clubs, but given his past domestic issues, he seems like the kind of guy who may enjoy a shoe show now and then?

And then there's this final statement:

Nelly took a trip from the Lou' to the Neptunes

Came back with somethin thicker than fittin in Sasoons

Say she got a thing about cuttin in restrooms - ohhhhh!

"Lou" refers to St. Louis, Nelly's hometown, and "Neptunes" refers to the track's producer.  "Sasoon," though spelled differently, may refer to the popular line of hair products?  The last line makes me wonder if "lou" could refer to a bathroom, once again using British slang terminology, therefore insinuating the woman wants to cut the line to the bathroom to get an "out of this world" experience with Nelly that results in a viscous, hair gel like product?  Whoah Nelly.....

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 and 1992 to inform this list.  Let's see what "Hot In Herre" contributes.

Repetitive Melody -  The melodic content in the song is repetitive in general.  The entire melody can be summed up with "minor 7 - root movement."  The chorus is also structurally repetitive.   

Hook that Uses Title of the Song - The entire chorus is the hook, which constantly refers to the title.

Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - this tune may have the fewest melody notes of any analysis I have done.  B, D, E, F#, G and A are the only pitches sang, split between two people!

- Use of Vocal Harmony - while there are additional vocals, they do not harmonize any melodies  The background vocals act more like a percussion track than anything.

- New Material at the End - the tune works with little source material.  The end is a repeat of the bridge, which is not often seen in pop song endings.  

- Texture Changes - There are some, but they are minimal.  At most, one of the primary loop elements drops out for a few bars, usually the high pitches syncopated chords.  

- Strong motion of V- I - While F#/E could be considered V, and does resolve to E minor, I wouldn't call it a strong resolution.  

Chord Count: 4 -  Emin7, Emin, F/E, F#/E - minimal chords doesn't always mean minimal musicality.  I like the harmonic motion of this one a lot and feel these chords get a lot of mileage on little source material. 

While there are only 3 common threads, I think the hook and repetitive melody count for double.  They have to be the strongest musical elements of the tune that account for the "extreme ear worm" status this song enjoys, even 20 years after being released. 

Final Takeaways

When I analyzed 1981's "Jesse's Girl," I was reminded of playing the song 20 years ago in a bar band and learning it on the gig, incorrectly.  I have similar memories of learning "Hot in Herre."  I remember being told to "play a groove in E," having never heard the actual tune.  Regardless, I have fond memories of the crowd's reaction, especially when this song was modern and hyper relevant.

I do enjoy listening to this tune.  I love half step motion in harmony, a frequently used movement in heavier music.  While it doesn't come off heavy, it has a dark vibe that I gravitate to.  Musically, the intro is my favorite part and it's interesting that it only occurs as is at the very start of the song.  

Nelly's rap flow is strong.  I like how he uses actual pitches, though limited, to flow through the verses.  When he moves between syncopated lines into 16th note blasts, it's a powerful rush of energy.  The percussive attack of the second and third verses is fun and, without a doubt, gets people up and moving.  While his words are somewhat cringe worthy and even head scratching, they are entertaining and provocative, especially to anyone on a dance floor.

What do you think of "Hot In Herre?"  Does it hold up as a hit worthy of no.1 almost 20 years later?  Leave me a comment!

Next time, the last stop "on the 2's!"  June 23rd - August 18th, 2012 - 8 weeks at no. 1...a juggernaut of pre-teen pop music, at least in my experience, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.  Like it or not, I am interested to see the number of shared musical elements in this one!

[1]https://www.sfweekly.com/music/allshookdown/earworm-weekly-nellys-hot-herre/

[2]http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2003/grammys.htm

[3]https://psmag.com/social-justice/how-hot-in-herre-became-a-climate-change-anthem