A Harmonic Analysis of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”
One of the biggest pop songs of all time, and the most “boy bandiest” of boy band hits, “I Want It That Way” features some savy theory…
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The Birth of the Unjazz
Modern songwriters, producers and artists are reinventing the way jazz idioms and foundations are applied in modern pop. Let’s break it down!
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Did Lorde Rip Off George Michael?
Thoughts on Lorde’s new single, a familiar ’50s rock groove, and the hyper-litigious state of the music industry’s copyright law.
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“Drivers License:” How Olivia Rodrigo Uses Much More Than Lyrics to Tell Her Story
Today we break down Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit “Drivers License” to show how she uses much more than lyrics to tell her heartbreak story.
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Where Did All the Chords Go?
A sampling of single- and multi-chord progression songs between the 1980s and 2010s reveals a disheartening trend. How to fix it?
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How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Takes Beethoven’s Ideas to #1
In this analysis, pop music theorist Ben Morss shows how The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is built from four-note scale segments.
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How D’Angelo Uses Funky Dominant Sevenths in “Sugah Daddy”
In this short analysis, we break down the source of D’Angelo’s funky sound, his impeccable use of dominant sevenths in spread voicings.
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A Harmonic Analysis of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”
Let’s revisit one of Radiohead’s most propulsive and intricately layered songs, to deconstruct all the elements at play and how they function.
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A Harmonic Analysis of Michael Jackson’s Protest Song “They Don’t Care About Us”
Through means of Dancehall rhythms, modal interchange, and ostinato, Michael Jackson gives us glimpses of Black American heritage in his protest song.
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Why Leon Bridges’ Powerful New Song “Sweeter” Works on Every… Single… Level
We break down the devices that help Leon Bridges and Terrace Martin’s song, “Sweeter,” function on every level, musically, poetically, and emotionally.
