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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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So Sick
Title
Ne-Yo
  Artist
Album In My Own Words

Buy This Album

In My Own Words
 
Ne-Yo
  Songwriters
 
  Producers
Play Song Excerpt Help with Real Audio
Concept
Singer is hurting so bad from a failed romance that he has troulble change everything in his life from plural to singular .
Lyric
A sad lyric that vividly describes the hurt and disappointment when a love relationship has failed and the singer just doesn't want to be reminded of what he lost.
Gotta change my answering machine now that I'm alone. 'Cause right now it says we can't come to the phone.
And I know it makes no sense 'cause you walked through the door.
But it's the only way I hear your voice anymore.
Groove
A gentle syncopated 16th note feel with repeated riffs and lines that give a subtext of angst and hurt in what should be a romantic feel.
Melody
The descending melodic line sighs with regret over and over stuck in a melancholy minor scale. There is no mistaking the sadness in the singer's situation, making a perfect prosody with the lyrics.
Harmony
Mostly minor diatonic 7ths chords in a subtle repetitive loop. Only i7, bVI7, iv7 and bVII chords are used. Even the bridge uses the same chords, just changing the order.
Structure
3 song sections. Intro AABABCBB form. Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus-Chorus. Very easy to follow.
Signature
Synthesizer loop in the repeats throughout except for the bridge..
Production
Simple production, the synth chords and riffs and clever vocal backgrounds make an effective counterpoint for the simple repetive melody. There is an easy transparency that understates rather overstates the emotions here. A simple new synth figure is added to help bring contrast in the bridge.
Predicted Longevity
It is the prosody of all the elements expressing the same message that makes this recording effective. The lyrics are fresh and disciplined, the melody and subtle vocal performance and presentation helps it communicate very effectively. A Grammy candidate for sure, but probably not a standout. If not a classic song that others can cover, it is a recording that will bring back to many what they were feeling in 2006.

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