Pop music review

Term

Definition

Song

A musical piece with lyrics that usually has verses and a chorus (and sometimes a bridge

Verse

Section of a song with the same music but different lyrics each time

Chorus

Section of a song with the same music and lyrics repeated throughout

Bridge

A contrasting section with new music and lyrics

Intro/Outro

Optional opening or closing section of a song

Popular Music Context

The study of not only musical structure but also cultural

Echo Nest

An algorithmic tool (now part of Spotify) that defines 8 measurable elements of popular songs

Acousticness

How acoustic (natural) vs electronic a song is

Danceability

How easily a song can be danced to (tempo

Energy

The intensity

Instrumentalness

The balance between vocals and instruments in a track

Liveness

How much the recording sounds like a live performance

Speechiness

The amount of spoken words vs sung lyrics in a song

Tempo

The speed of a song measured in beats per minute (BPM)

Valence

The emotional positivity or negativity of a song

High Acousticness

Raw voice and acoustic instruments with little digital processing

Low Acousticness

Electronic instruments

High Danceability

Strong steady beat

Low Danceability

Irregular rhythm or unstable tempo

High Energy

Fast

Low Energy

Calm

High Liveness

Live concert recording with minimal editing

Low Liveness

Heavily produced studio track with layers or auto-tune

High Speechiness

Rap or spoken-word pieces

Low Speechiness

Melodic

Typical Pop Tempo

Around 120 BPM (medium pace)

High Valence

Happy

Low Valence

Sad

Song Analysis

Rate each element (except tempo) 0-10 to describe what you hear in a track

Listening Tip

Try tapping along to find tempo and compare how elements differ between genres

Success in Pop

Usually comes from balancing novelty and familiarity