music theory hot takes 1

today's tour guide, jeno lee from whore repairs: yoit!

first listen music theory takes from a playlist my sister made and played for me whilst i could not see. the playlist was basically a bunch of songs she's been asking me to listen to for ages:

and then i scribbled in a journal as each song played:

gimme gimme - nct 127

• prechor melody grabs from the motif/hook of instrumental
• major in 2nd and 3rd chorus?!

oops! - loona

• modal intro....?
  • augmented chord @ intro? (1-4-6?)
• rap rhythm syncopated....?
• moombahton postchorus?
• final postchor final descending notes in instrumental diff

hide & seek - loona

• odd rhythm from start
• chromaticism @ end of verse 1
• house-esque verses
• major prechor?
• is chorus major or minor?
• rhythm/beat change
• piano major!!!! bridge
• more chromaticism @ end of bridge
• lil chromaticism tidbits

red sun - dreamcatcher

• arabian nights vibes
• shoot! by itzy vibes but also everglow vibes + itzy mafia/lullaby vibes

surf - itzy

• disco vibes + funk vibes (uptown funk bass)
• weird chord in prechor
• 2nd prechor - funk-esque guitar

you're in love, right - izone

• gamery sounds - brooke would like
• weird chord in prechor?
• odd rhythm that kinda devolves into almost eurobeat(?) in chorus
• bridge = prechor but has extra beat before moving to chor

body rhythm - shinee

• side to side vibes - reggaeton
• classic trap beat prechor
• SIDE TO SIDE CHOR FOR REEAL
  • sparse snap beat revs into reggaeton
  • 3rd chor drops to reggaeton immediately + similar adlibs
    • kinda similar ending

scandal - twice

• house/disco vibes
  • future nostalgia vibes (retro)
• VERY FUNK INSPIRED
  • piano + funk-esque guitar + retro disco feel....

mise-en-scene - izone

• BASSSSS
• house i think w/ EDM(?) [edit: ik house is a type of edm so i guess i just don't know what other type of edm i was hearing here]
• nice chord in chorus
• RLY GOOD INSTRUMENTAL PRODUCTION

action figure - wayv

• trap/latin influence????/musical-esque
• TEN!!!! 2nd prechor
• long + fascinating bridge....
• blues-y chords @ end ? (ti-do) [edit: i didn't use a separate bulletpoint for "(ti-do)" but that's not a blues chord progression hallmark. i know i heard ti-do in the song but may not be related to the blues-y chords]

bump bump - woodz

• 2000s (alt?) rock
  • all time low vibes (hello brooklyn?)
  • a. lavigne here's to never growing up + what the hell
  • nickelback how you remind me [edit: ironically chad kroeger worked on the avril lavigne album that had here's to never growing up on it]
• key change @ last chor
• chor rly familiar driving me NUTS

ding ding dong - loona

• intro chords so weird?
• the last part of prechor weird???? key? mode? (not as strong 2nd prechor)
• funky bass [incomprehensible scribbling i'm so sorry this is the best i could discern: "jackonf 123"] bass only esque

gxxd boy - everglow

• RIPLEY WOULD LIKE
• CHROMATICISM
• P1HARMONY-ESQUE
• familiar prechor chord prog
• THE WHISTLE IS IN CHERRY - ITZY [edit: whistle sample]
• KESHA - DIE YOUNG BASS CHORD PROG.

fantasia - monsta x

• moombahton(?)
• lil mosquito laser sound in chor

flash - x1

• MASAYUME CHASING-ESQUE INTRO
  • rly familiar intro
    • american song?
      • APPLAUSE - LADY GAGA (PIANO + SYNTH)
• HOUSE W/ FUNK-ESQUE VIBES
• EDM POSTCHOR [edit: again some edm type i didn't know how to name but just not house usually when i say this i mean whatever bts dna has going on in its chorus]
  • familiar....mosquito sound
• running running run-running running --> SUPER FAMILIAR

boyness - produce x 101

• inch resting intro pianoesque chords....almost blues ?
• red velvet automatic underbeat in verse(?)
• HOUSE CHORUS
• outro chords inch resting

come back - nct 127

• britney spears vibes in initial verse instrumental
• house
• HAECHAN!!!!
• piano bridge babeyyy
• in 2nd bridge!! hiphop rap trap?
• very end - britney spears-esque

open to discussion questions suggestions corrections etc etc i just might need to listen to the song again because i only heard each of these in their entirety one (1) time