VRUNALI GANDHI
Dancing On My Own – Robyn/Calum Scott
COLLAPSE
I am choosing one of my favorite pop songs, Dancing On My Own by Robyn and the cover by Calum Scott. Although they are essentially the same song, the original and the cover have very different vibes because of many musical changes. Both songs are in the same verse-chorus form that is typical of popular music. However, Robyn’s version of the song is much more upbeat and has a faster tempo. The instrumentation consists of synths and percussion. Starting from 0:08, the deep percussion keeps the pulse that is the foundation of the song. At 0:38, there is a higher-pitched drum sound adding a unique timbre to the song. At 2:23, there is little background instrumentals, creating a thin texture with the singer singing the main melody.
In Calum Scott’s version, the instrumentations consist of piano and voice, creating a more somber atmosphere throughout the song than the original, which is very upbeat. There is a thin texture because the voice is the main melody and the piano is the only harmony. At 1:40, during the bridge of the song, the dynamics become louder as he sings more powerfully, adding an emotional impact as the listeners can feel his pain. At 2:50, the singers repeats the chorus again, so this repetition emphasizes the sadness that he experiences.
Robyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcNo07Xp8aQ
Calum Scott: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31tGyBJhRY
POP
Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran
COLLAPSE
Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran
(Cover With Pipes and Pebbles)
https://youtu.be/MIc1EBbf1Vg
Original Song
https://youtu.be/TRkIdcuXZQg
The original song by Ed Sheeran is a very textured song. The song’s sounds includes a guitar, an instrument that sounds something like a xylophone, and a guitar. These three instruments is what gives the song its catchy beat. Now, as we move on to the variation of Ed Sheeran’s song which includes more unconventional instruments, has a lot of texture as well. In the video we can see that they use instruments like a jack in the box, pebbles, and forks. These singers also add different songs that also fit into the similar beat produced by the original song. For example at 1:46 they incorporate the lyrics from “No Scrubs” by TLC. Additionally, at 0:52 they I really enjoy when they add the forks into the melody at the chorus, I think it gives the beat of the song an interesting twist. I can say that the two songs are similar in the sense of their melodies and texture of the songs. I can say they are different in terms of the instruments that are used (conventional vs. unconventional) on top of the variation of lyrics.
World
Afrobeats — Afro B – Drogba(Joanna)
COLLAPSE
The style of music that I chose is Afrobeats from Sub Saharan Africa. The song that I chose was Drogba (Joanna) by Afro B, a popular Afrobeats artist. This recording of the song is authentic and is a representation of the type of afrobeat music that is popular today. It is commonly played on the radio and listened to by many. One element that I like that is used is at 0:29 when they use multiple voice tracks when the artist says “ooo eee”. I find that it adds a different element to the song. Also, I liked the way that the artist’s voice gets higher at 1:47 as I find that it is a good change from the normal pitch that his voice is at. Also, I like the use of multiple layers in the background with the drum and also the keyboard as well as the singer’s voice. I enjoyed this recording overall and I found that the song had a great beat and the singer’s voice was appealing.
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YqecbxSr4A
World Music
EMILY TOM
“Como La Flor” – Tex Mex Music by Selena Perez
COLLAPSE
For authentic music of Chicanos from the region between Texas and Mexico, I choose Selena who is the Queen of Tejano (Tex-Mex). This sentimental song, “Como La Flor” released in 1992 was beautifully sung by Selena. I enjoy how her voice sounds. I am now interested in Tex-Mex music after learning about it and hearing a few of the songs.
The music starts with the instrumentation before she starts singing verse one at 0:17. At first, the texture was thin, and then it gets thicker when other instruments in the band join her singing. The music/ harmony changes at 0:08 if you listen to the entire instrumentation, you will hear the changes. The musical band consists of the electric piano, bass/electric guitar, drums, cymbals making a lovely harmony, and her voice is used as leading instrumentation in the music. There is instrumentation again at 1:05. The instruments make a nice rhythm and beat. The tempo is pretty fast throughout the music, and the pace stays constant. I hear the electric guitar playing loudly from 1:11 to 1:19, and the drums were being played the entire song. The part I enjoyed the most was when she sang the chorus, especially when she sings “aay ayy ayy como me duele”.
The is a verse-refrain type of song with the first chorus starting from timestamp 0:37 to 1:04. The chorus plays again twice from 1:41 until the end of the song. The ending of the song stretches indicating that the song is coming to an end when she raises her voice a little higher, and the band slows down, and the texture becomes thinner at 2:46.
https://youtu.be/R-WuBoNXRkY
Sample Solution
