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Anatomy of a Hit

Anatomy of a Hit
Hit song analysis
View all Anatomy of a Hit Articles

Coming Soon:
Beyonce—Irreplaceable
Corrine Bailey Rae—Put Your Records On
KT Tunstall—Suddenly I See

Nelly Furtado–Promiscuous
Ne-Yo—So Sick
James Blunt—You're Beautiful
Rascal Flatts–What Hurts The Most
Eminem—Lose Yourself

Norah Jones —Don't Know Why
Avril Lavigne —Complicated
Alan Jackson—Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?

Pink—Get the Party Started
Craig David—Fill Me In
Alicia Keys—Fallin'
Train—Drops of Jupiter
Janet Jackson—All For You
Dido—Thank You
Sisqo—Incomplete
Macy Grey—I Try
Faith Hill—Breathe
Destiny's Child—Say My Name
Santana/Rob Thomas—Smooth
Ricky Martin—La Vida Loca

More Anatomy of a Hit Articles...

Classic Songcraft Articles
Reprints from Cat's columns in The Music Connection and LASS/NAS Musepaper

Outside vs. Inside Songwriting
Cat describes the change of opportunities in today's songwriting scene from Outside Songwriting for established artists to Inside Songwriting for original acts.

Grabbers and Shakers
Cat lists many of hue characteristics that make a pop song a hit song including what grabs a listener's attention and what keeps an audience involved all the way through to the end.

A Songwriter's New Year's Resolutions
Cat lists some goals and resolves we as songwriters can make to improve our writing and our careers for the coming year.

Other Classic Articles

The Hispanic Invasion
Today's pop scene has much in common with that of the mid-'60s. American pop music is being invaded by foreigners. Only this time the British aren't coming, it's the Hispanics.

1999: A Year of Retro and Recycling
Cat looks at the year 1999 in pop music and saw a return to recordings with older more melodic writing and more romantic dance styles including latin dance styles. Hot and sexy began to replace alienation and rebellion as the millennium turned.

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Cat Cohen and the phrase "Anatomy of a Hit" are trademarks of Cat Cohen UnLimited

 

I Try
Title
Macy Gray
  Artist
Album On How Life Is

Buy this Album

On How Life Is
 
Macy Gray/Jeremy Ruzumna/Jinsoo Lim/David Wilder
  Songwriters
 
Andrew Slater
  Producers
Play Song Excerpt Help with Real Audio
Concept
Singer expresses her frustration at an unrequited love relationship.
Lyric
A description of singer's difficulty in hiding her disappointment in her love affair. A classic hurt love situation expressed in hip wordage. More of a compilation of images than a specific story.

I believe fate has brought us here. We should be together but we're not....... I play it off but I'm dreamin' of you. I'll keep my cool but I'm fiending........ I try to say goodbye and I choke, try to walk away and I stumble
Groove
The groove is one of this recording's most appealing features. Based on a straight ahead 8th note feel, a variety of overlaid hip-hop swung 16ths in both the guitar figure and the vocal phrasing give it a today feel.
Melody
The melody in the verse is sung in the major pentatonic scale (no 4th and 7th, 1 2 3 -5 6 - 8) giving it a funky folky feel. However, the interval of a 4th is used in the chorus with a very unusual drop of a 7th in the last vocal riff. The phrasing of the melody is very repetitive, catchy and haunting all at the same time. The bridge is very monotone which contrasts with the wide sweep of the chorus.
Harmony
I Try stays in the major diatonic system for the verse and chorus using 7ths as the basic language while the bridge travels out of the key (I V and ii in the verse IV iii7 ii7 V7 in the pre-hook and I V IV IV/V in the chorus and bIIImaj7 v7 bIIImaj7 ii7 bVII7 vi7 ii7 II7 in teh unorthodox bridge).
Structure
Four-part song form with verse, pre-hook, and chorus, verse, chorus and post-hook repeated, bridge, pre-hook and chorus. A B A B C D B C
Signature
Aflashy augmented chord reminiscent of an older era much like her visual with the furs..
Production
Great groove, funky feel, well produced and well performed vocal with Al Green-like soul singer style throughout.
Predicted Longevity
This recording has been on the charts for several weeks and has the elements to carve out its classic soul style niche. Not a cut for everyone but strongly appreciated by its fans, this should be around for a long while.

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