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15 Dazzling, Elements of Music Songs… Sort Of! [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Omar Medina Films, OpenClip-Art Vectors from Pixabay]15 Dazzling, Elements of Music Songs… Sort Of! features music courtesy of BabyTron, The Blackbyrds, Ice Spice, Lizzo, The Righteous Brothers, and Tiësto.

Ah, prepare for a music theory-driven playlist 🤓! Okay, okay – I know that’s NOT what you came to The Musical Hype for, sigh 😏. But, in some respects, I get to nerd out a little bit and you get to not only experience my nerdiness but also some terrific songs on 🎧 15 Dazzling, Elements of Music Songs… Sort Of! The thing is, you don’t need a music theory/composition degree like me to enjoy these songs, which only loosely highlight the elements of music (dynamics, form, harmony, melody, mood, pitch, rhythm, tempo, timbre, etc.). 🎧 15 Dazzling, Elements of Music Songs… Sort Of! features music courtesy of 🎙 BabyTron, 🎙 The Blackbyrds, 🎙 Ice Spice, 🎙 Lizzo, 🎙 The Righteous Brothers, and 🎙 Tiësto among others. Of course, style (genres/types of music) is covered naturally on this list encompassing alternative, dance/electronic, pop, rap, R&B, rock, and soul.  So, nerd out with me on 🎧 15 Dazzling, Elements of Music Songs… Sort Of!


1. BabyTron, “100 Bars”

💿 6 🏷 The Hip Hop Lab / EMPIRE • 📅 2023

Element of Music: Form 

BabyTron, 6 [📷: The Hip Hop Lab / EMPIRE]“Bitch, yeah, let me count for y’all.” WOO!!! Michigan rapper 🎙 BabyTron (James Johnson) helps us lay out the form of 🎵 “100 Bars” bar for bar! Technically, this opener from his 2023 album, 💿 6, has more than 100 bars, but we’re not going to turn this two-part rap banger into a music theory lesson! BabyTron came to rap, showing off his masculine voice as he spits with ease.  He’s chill but commanding simultaneously, eating up the beat by 🎛 Damjonboi.

Half the bars of “100 Bars” (50) fall into part one, beginning with “One of one, it ain’t no duplication of my DNA,” and concluding with “Fifty rackies if you never seen that lil’ boy, you a shrimp.” Part II acknowledges the beat switch, beginning with “Fifty-one lines in, forty nine to go,” and concluding with “Ninety-nine my overall, that ain’t shit to go get a bucket / Only right we end it here, gon’ always keep this shit a hundred.” Now that’s 💯 for sure! Along the way, there is no shortage of memorable lines such as the druggy “20/20 vision off the shrooms, I’m in Wonderland” and the football 🏈 driven “Fourth and fifty-six, fuck it, gang, I’m goin’ long.” “100 Bars” needs no extensive analysis – it speaks for itself!

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2. Ice Spice, “In Ha Mood”

💿 Like..? (Deluxe) • 🏷 Dolo Entertainment, Inc. / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2023

Element of Music: Mood

Ice Spice, Like..? (Deluxe) [📷: Dolo Entertainment, Inc. / UMG Recordings, Inc.]“Like, damn, she in her mood.” Yup, those are the lyrics that grace the chorus of 🎵 “In Ha Mood”, the opening song from 💿  Like..? (EP) and the fourth track from 💿 Like..? (Deluxe). Although “In Ha Mood” barely crosses two minutes in duration, 🎙 Ice Spice gives the listeners ample vibe. Fueling the fire on this brief single is production courtesy of 🎛 RIOTUSA. Why is Ice “In Ha Mood?” Basically, she’s a bad bitch.  Even though “he packin’, I know by his pants,” she makes it clear, he “don’t got a chance” with her. Her flow is on-point throughout – rhythmic and not too slow or too fast. Always confident, she also spits, “They like, ‘Ice, how you always stay hot?’ / Oh, they mad ‘cause I keep makin’ bops.” The second verse continues to find her locked-in and loaded with no shortage of biting, unapologetic lines.  A surefire bullet: “Lamborghini roarin’ when I hop out the truck / Pretty bitch like Lauryn with a big ass butt, yup.” No further explanation or analysis necessary. “If I was bitches, I’d hate me a lot.” That says it all, doesn’t it?

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3. The Blackbyrds, “Walking in Rhythm”

💿 Flying Start • 🏷 Fantasy / Concord • 🗓 1974

Element of Music: Rhythm

The Blackbyrds, Flying Start [📷: Fantasy / Concord]“Walking in rhythm / Moving in sound / Humming to the music / Tryna move on.” Woo! The lyrics, which hail from the chorus of 🎙 The Blackbyrds’ gem, 🎵 “Walking in Rhythm”, are easygoing, memorable, and simple. The chorus continues, in feel good vibes, “I’m walking in rhythm / Singing my song / Thinking ‘bout my baby / Tryna get home.” Ah, that where the exuberance hails from on this soul/jazz joint – LOVE! “Walking in Rhythm,” unsurprisingly, was a big hit for the collective, peaking at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Furthermore, the highlight from their 1974 album, 💿 Flying Start, marks their sole top-10 hit. Notably, renowned trumpeter 🎛 Donald Byrd produced this classic.

Besides the catchy chorus, the verse – of which there is only one – is another moment of excellence from “Walking in Rhythm.” Basically, the guys miss and long for her, after all, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen her.” Making that long journey back home, they have resolved themselves to make, no matter how long the distance! In the process, we get a ‘fake-out’ modulation – it seems like that key is going to change but it resolves and remains in the original key – as well as a legitimate modulation,  which amplifies the energy.  Besides the theme, lyrics, and the key change, you can’t mention “Walking in Rhythm” and leave out the flute solo, in all its sophistication.  Furthermore, Byrd’s production is utterly sublime (those strings), as to be expected from a world-class musician.

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4. Beyoncé, “Virgo’s Groove”

💿 RENAISSANCE 🏷 Parkwood Entertainment LLC / Columbia • 🗓 2022

Element of Music: Rhythm

Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE [📷: Parkwood Entertainment LLC / Columbia]“Right here, right now / Iced up, bite down / Baby, lock in right now / I want it right here, right now…” Most of the songs on 🎙 Beyoncé’s 🏆 Grammy-winning album, 💿 RENAISSANCE, clock in under four minutes, with a few exceptions. 🎵 “Virgo’s Groove” is one of those exceptions, earning the distinction as the longest song running more than six minutes in duration.  Even though “Virgo’s Groove” is lengthy, it’s well worth every second.  Beyoncé delivers some of her best vocals – those runs and ad-libs – not to mention her sickening artistry and personality: “There’s nothin’ that I want as much as I want you / A psychic hit me, told me we got shit to do / We ain’t got time like we used to / But we still shine like we used to.” Ooh-wee! The production (Beyoncé, 🎛 Leven Kali, and The-Dream) is a big-time selling point with polychromatic synths and a bang-up beat. There’s no doubt that Queen B has the dance floor on her mind 🕺.  Even so, there are still R&B sensibilities, thanks to ultra-sweet, harmonized backing vocals. Also, it’s worth noting that “Virgo’s Groove” was nominated for a 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Performance though lost to 🎙 Muni Long (🎵 “Hrs & Hrs”).

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5. The Righteous Brothers, “Unchained Melody”

💿 Just Once In My Life 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1965

Element of Music: Form, Harmony, Melody

The Righteous Brothers, Just Once in my Life [📷: UMG Recordings, Inc.]“Whoa, my love, my darling / I’ve hungered for your touch / A long, lonely time…” 🎼 ✍ Alex North and Hy Zaret penned a classic song in 1955 with 🎵 “Unchained Melody”, a soundtrack cut 🤯! An oft-covered song (understatement), the most famous rendition of the song belongs to 🎙 The Righteous Brothers – originally a duo comprised of 🎙 Bill Medley (1940 – )  and the late 🎙 Bobby Hatfield (1940 – 2003). Notably, it is Hatfield that performed the lead on this song – a solo recording to be precise. “Unchained Melody,” which appeared on the duo’s 1965 album, 💿 Just Once In My Life, was one of six top-10 hits for the duo, peaking at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Also, interestingly, a re-recorded version also performed well on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, peaking at no. 19.  Of course, it is the original that is the ace-in-the hole for The Righteous Brothers – well, Hatfield.

The melody of “Unchained Melody” is to die for – splendid! It is easy on the ears and tuneful, brought to life by Hatfield’s expressive, nuanced performance.  The two verses truly shine, with the conclusion of the second verse shining brightest historically.  Intensifying lyrics that also appeared at the end of the first verse, Hatfield tweaks the melody, showing off his impressive range, and setting the tone for how “Unchained Melody” was to be performed for eternity: “I need your love / I, I need your love / Godspeed your love to me.” Besides the famous artistic liberty, the bridge section marks another brilliant part of this beloved classic.  Form-wise, it does what a bridge is expected to – separate itself from the other sections of the song, in this case, the verses.  Harmonically and melodically, it is a contrast, one that Hatfield executes flawlessly: “Lonely rivers flow / To the sea, to the sea / To the open arms of the sea, yeah.” We could analyze and analyze 🎵 “Unchained Melody” but honestly, the music speaks for itself on this easy listening, pop gem.

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6. Fugees, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” 

💿 The Score 🏷 Columbia • 📅 1996 

Element of Music: Dynamics

Fugees, The Score [📷: Columbia]“Strumming my pain with his fingers / Singing my life with his words / Killing me softly with his song…” Ah, a soft killing (probably piano or even, pianissimo) as opposed to a loud killing (forte, fortissimo, or perhaps, fortississimo).  Those dynamics matter on 🎵 “Killing Me Softly With His Song”. Unbeknownst to many, the legendary 🎙 Roberta Flack covered 🎵 “Killing Me Softly With His Song” as opposed to originally recording it.  Regardless, Flack earned the honors of recording the definitive version, reaching no. 1 on the Hot 100 and winning two 🏆 Grammys for one song – that’s success right there.  Who would dare touch something so iconic? 🎙 Fugees, that’s who! It seemed Flack had no competition, but 🎙 Lauryn Hill and company had something to say about that from their 🏆 Grammy-winning rap album, 💿 The Score!  

On the 1996 cover by Fugees, essentially, Hill and 🎙 🎛 Wyclef Jean update the 1973 version.  The beat is indicative of the hip-hop soul sound prevalent at the time.  It naturally infuses freshness – there’s a new swagger.  Furthermore, add in a robust bass line, ad-libs (Hill and Jean), and “Killing Me Softly” has a new identity for a new generation.  Of course, the person who ‘brings it on home’ for us 80s babies and 90s kids is Hill, period.  Her voice is distinct – starkly different from Flack’s. Hill prefaces the brilliance of her sole solo studio album (💿 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill), and it’s awesome.  Her nuance, the runs – it’s glorious over that dusty beat.  “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is in great hands with Fugees too.  Like Flack, they won a Grammy specifically for this song.   

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7. MICHELLE, “SYNCOPATE”

💿 AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 2022

Element of Music: Rhythm

MICHELLE, AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS [📷: Atlantic]“I can’t stop for more than a minute / It’s my body, I need you in it.” Damn! Well, 🎙 MICHELLE, at least you’re being forthright and honest AF on 🎵 “SYNCOPATE”. A brief joint, clocking in at just under two minutes in duration, “SYNCOPATE” packs a mighty, sexy punch.  It appears as the fourth track on the collective’s 2022 album, 💿 AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS.  The sensual, soulful “SYNCOPATE” was penned by members of the sextet 🎼 ✍ Aidan Ludlam, Charlie Kilgore, Julian Kaufman, Layla Ku, and Sofia D’Angelo, with Kilgore and Kaufman handing the production work, superbly.

“Love it when you teasing me / Put it down easily / Making my knees so weak / Panting like a dog in heat / Sweat taste extra sweet.”  WOO – it’s getting hot in here, MICHELLE!  The first verse indeed titillates yet does so without getting too raunchy. Nudity is mentioned in the second verse, but it’s in the name of love: “You’re stripping me bare down to my favorite fear / What can we take off next?” It’s double entendre, mind you, but it hits different.  Of course, what we all care about the most is syncopation, right? “There’s no way we’re turning this around,” they sing in the chorus, adding, “It’s far too late / Just when I begin to keep the time / We syncopate.” Think about the brilliance of those lyrics, particularly if you have a music background.  Keeping time! Syncopation! The connection between beat, rhythm, and tempo! Used in a sexual context! 🎵 “SYNCOPATE” is a relatively safe for work Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 experience! Most importantly, it’s a bop – a surefire vibe!

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8. Panic! At The Disco, “Say It Louder”

💿 Viva Las Vengeance🏷 Fueled By Ramen • 📅 2022

Element of Music: Dynamics

Panic! At the Disco, Viva Las Vengeance [📷: Fueled By Ramen]“Choose your weapon of choice / Your beautiful voice / Don’t ever let them turn you down / (Turn it up, turn it up, up, sing it) /… Say it louder for the people. In the context of 💿 Viva Las Vengeance, the seventh/final studio album by 🏆 Grammy-nominated band 🎙 Panic! At the Disco, 🎵 “Say It Louder” has a tough act to follow as the seventh track.  Despite having a tall task on its hands, “Say It Louder” is high quality, maintaining the utmost consistency of the LP. This dynamic cut checks the necessary boxes – it’s big, exuberant, tuneful, and highlights those God-given, high-flying pipes from 🎙 Brendon Urie.  Just when you think “Say It Louder” is a bit more predictable compared to some songs, Urie throws in a slower, more legato, and lush section.   


9. Lizzo, “Tempo” (Ft. Missy Elliott)

💿 Cuz I Love You • 🏷 Nice Life / Atlantic • 📅 2019

Element of Music: Tempo

Lizzo, Cuz I Love You [📷: Nice Life / Atlantic]“Slow songs, they for skinny hoes / Can’t move all of this here to one of those / I’m a thick bitch, I need tempo / Fuck it up to the tempo.” Unapologetic and unafraid are two ways you can characterize 🏆 Grammy-winning Minneapolis pop musician 🎙 Lizzo.  The short, but hella sweet and feisty 🎵 “Tempo”, from her 2019 album, 💿 Cuz I Love You, pairs her with the legendary 🎙 Missy Elliott. “Tempo” shines from the tip.  The production is awesome, incorporating a hard-hitting hip-hop beat, slinky-sounding synths, as well as some cool, unexpected musical interjections.  As great as the production is, it is the performance by Lizzo herself that sells “Tempo.” She’s on autopilot as she flaunts and touts her big, beautiful body, throwing ample swagger and sex game at the boys. Beyond her own stellar, hyper-sexual performance, Missy Elliott ‘brings the heat’ on the third verse, sounding as if she’d never been on an extended hiatus.  As usual, we get some terrific sound effects from Elliott to go alongside being the hype woman for the plus-sized crowd – “I’m big-boned with nice curves.” All in all, Lizzo kills it on this ultra-fabulous, infectious banger that is equal parts shallow and equal parts deep.

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10. Tiësto, “Lay Low”

💿 DRIVE🏷 Musical Freedom Label Ltd. • 🗓 2023

Element of Music: Pitch

Tiësto, Drive [📷: Musical Freedom Label, LLC]“Lay low with the sun / Everybody have a real good time / Real good time.” Woo! That is exactly what the single 🎵 “Lay Low” (💿 DRIVE) by🎙 Tiësto is – a real good time!  Also, why not use this as an opportunity to bring in the musical element of pitch, incredibly awkwardly 🤣.  No, Tiësto isn’t really differentiating between low, middle, and high, but as the lyrics suggest, there is lowness in play here!  “Lay Low” commences with the excerpted intro which eventually evolves into the carefree, feel good chorus. Tiësto handles production duties which means the backdrop is sheer fire – lit to the nth degree. The backdrop is sophisticated with its crisp, electrifying beat, pulsating synths, and various effects. The music is at its fiercest during the chorus where “we cool, yeah, we drunk / Lost my mind and, baby, I feel high, I feel high.” Easy to be lifted off those vibes! Worth noting, the vocals are incredibly robust here, thanks to the effects.  Despite the exuberance of this joint, it is set in a minor key.  The minor sound isn’t malicious per se, but there is a dark tilt in the verses. “I’m hearing voices in my head, there’s no way to escape,” the vocalist sings in the first verse, adding, “And the timing ain’t right, my mind in the air /…surround me (lay low).” Similarly, the second verse reemphasizes these claustrophobic feelings before the bail out by the centerpiece, the chorus. Tiësto is the man – the sugar honey iced tea.  Once again, the long-time DJ/producer has dropped a surefire bop with its picturesque sound palette, dark but entertaining lyrics, and effects-heavy vocals.

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11. The Supremes, “I Hear A Symphony”  

💿 I Hear A Symphony🏷 Motown • 🗓 1966 

Element of Music: Form, Melody, Timbre

The Supremes, I Hear A Symphony [📷: Motown]“You’ve given me a true love / And every day, I thank you, love.” Oh, how sweet! 🎙 The Supremes delivered a surefire, soul classic with 🎵 “I Hear A Symphony” (💿 I Hear A Symphony, 1966).  “I Hear A Symphony” was sweet music to the ears of pop and soul enthusiasts alike in the mid-1960s.  The exuberant, 1965 record about true love spent two weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The iconic Motown girl group, consisting of 🎙 Diana Ross, 🎙 Florence Ballard, and 🎙 Mary Wilson, continues singing, in the opening section, “For a feeling that’s so new / So inviting, so exciting.” Oh, love, in all its splendor!  Furthermore, by mentioning a symphony, they are making a nod to timbre, “the characteristic tone colour of an instrument or voice.” Timbre isn’t the only element of music covered, however!  

The hook line of “I Hear A Symphony” is the legendary titular lyric: “Whenever you’re near, I hear a symphony.” The Supremes follow it up with numerous poetic lines, such as “A tender melody / Pulling me closer, closer to your arms / Then suddenly (I hear a symphony) / Ooh, your lips are touching mine…” Melody, of course, makes the song or a piece of music – it’s the main part, the tune, that the ears hear.  Also, the iconic girl group adds,  “I hear a tender rhapsody of love now, baby, baby.” A rhapsody, huh? Well, that’s “a piece of music of indeterminate length and with no formal structure, comprised of a number of different musical ideas.” 🤓 This Motown classic was not only performed by icons but written by the iconic collective, 🎼 Holland-Dozier-Holland (Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland).  Brian and Dozier also produced this catchy gem.  Sure, songs don’t sound like 🎵 “I Hear A Symphony” anymore but the nostalgia and the innocence of this love-driven number is refreshing in much more blunt and explicit times. It’s sad that Diana Ross and The Supremes have failed to ever win a 🏆 Grammy.   

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12. Vampire Weekend, “Harmony Hall”

💿 Father of the Bride • 🏷 Spring Snow, LLC / Columbia • 📅 2019

Element of Music: Harmony

Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride [📷: Sony Music]“Anger wants a voice, voices wanna sing / Singers harmonize ‘til they can’t hear anything…” Oh, harmony, one of my favorite elements of music! Also, low-key, a pretty cool tattoo in Japanese (和)! Anyways, 🎵 “Harmony Hall” arrives courtesy of 🏆 Grammy-winning alternative collective 🎙 Vampire Weekend.  The lead single from 💿 Father of the Bride is a jam-packed gem exceeding five minutes in duration. Front man 🎙 Ezra Koenig experiments with Americana and country music.  The result is superb, with rhythmic guitar lines, ultra-funky piano, and an infectious, anchoring beat. Adding to the excellence are ripe vocals by Koenig, who sounds as fresh and potent as he did when Vampire Weekend first arrived back in 2008.  Although “Harmony Hall” is ‘alternative,’ there’s enough of a ‘pop factor’ and a straightforward form that makes it truly ear catching.  Also, helping the infectiousness is the inescapably catchy chorus, which sounds like Koenig is beaming as he sings.

“And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness

Anybody with a worried mind could never forgive the sight

Of wicked snakes inside a place, you thought was dignified

I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die.” 

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13. Katy Perry, “Chained To The Rhythm” (Ft. Skip Marley)

💿 Witness • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2017

Element of Music: Rhythm 

Katy Perry, Witness [📷: Capitol]“Are we crazy? / Living our lives through a lens / Trapped in our white picket fence / Like ornaments.” 🎵 “Chained to the Rhythm” ranks among the elite moments from 💿 Witness – it’s the crème de la crème.  🏆 Grammy-nominated pop singer 🎙 Katy Perry needed this moment obviously, given the meh nature of the album overall. The groove is infectious, while the production (🎛 Max Martin and Ali Payami) successfully blends urban- and tropical-pop.

Lyrically, “Chained to the Rhythm” is catchy and thought-provoking.  The verses are socially and politically relevant. 🎙 Skip Marley (grandson of the legendary reggae icon, 🎙 Bob Marley, btw) only plays a small role, never overshadowing Perry. The chorus propels “Chained to the Rhythm” to the next level.

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14. Peaches & Herb, “Shake Your Groove Thing”

💿 2 Hot!🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1978

Element of Music: Rhythm

Peaches & Herb, 2 Hot [📷: UMG Recordings, Inc. / Motown]“Shake your groove thing / Shake your groove thing / Yeah, yeah / Show ‘em how we do it now.” Ooh wee! 🎙 Peaches & Herb experienced their most pop success with their 1978 album, 💿 2 Hot!.  Notably, with the duo, Herb was actually Herb (🎙 Herb Fame), while Peaches was various people 🤯. On 2 Hot!, which yielded both 🎵 “Reunited” and the song at hand, 🎵 “Shake Your Groove Thing”, 🎙 Linda Greene was Peaches. “Shake Your Groove Thing,” the second track from the album, was written by 🎼 ✍ Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perren. In addition to his writing credit, Perren serves as the producer.  Ultimately, with the writing of Fekaris and Perren, and the incredible chemistry and voices of Fame and Greene, “Shake Your Groove Thing” would peak at no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, second only to hitting no. 1 with 🎵 “Reunited”.

The production work on “Shake Your Groove Thing” is bright and exuberant. The percussive groove is epic, instantly making your body move.  Specifically, the keyboard work is awesome, while the orchestration is marvelous – those strings and winds!  Of course, when it comes to the writing and most memorable moment, it’s none other than the infectious chorus, excerpted above in its simplistic glory.  The verses are fun too, also maintaining a sense of simplicity – not doing too much or going too deep. “Let’s show the world we can dance / Bad enough to strut our stuff,” the duo sings, continuing, “The music gives us a chance / We do more out on the floor.” Word! Of course, other fun lyrical moments include “Funky sounds / Wall to wall / We’re bumping booties / Having us a ball, y’all,” and, of course, the aforementioned “Feel that beat, never stop / Oh, hold me tight, spin me like a top.” To reiterate, the vocal chemistry allows this joint to be hella successful, making “Shake Your Groove Thing” one of those timeless, feel good soul classics.  All told, 🎵 “Shake Your Groove Thing” is an incredibly fun six minutes of 70s disco/funk/soul.

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15. DeBarge, “Rhythm Of The Night”

💿 Rhythm Of The Night • 🏷 Motown • 🗓 1985

Element of Music: Rhythm

DeBarge, Rhythm of The Night [📷: Motown]“When it feels like the world is on your shoulders / And all of the madness has got you going crazy,” 🎙 El DeBarge sings in the first verse of the huge 🎙 DeBarge classic, 🎵 “Rhythm Of The Night”, written by a then young 🎼 ✍ Diane Warren. He continues singing, with his signature, high tenor, “It’s time to get out, step out into the street / Where all of the action is right there at your feet.” So basically, El DeBarge, and the rest of the DeBarge siblings are telling us to get moving – hit the dancefloor! Rather than let life sink us, have some fun – seize the night! “Rhythm Of The Night” is a fitting closing track on the R&B collective’s 1985 album, also titled Closing track from 💿 Rhythm Of The Night.  With its epic, undeniably danceable groove, and those easygoing, fun lyrics, it’s no surprise “Rhythm Of The Night” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In addition to the enjoyable lyrics, “Rhythm” features terrific production work – refined, slick and funky. As often was the case in the 1980s, the sound is constructed with percussion, programming, and keys/synths. The record embraces the chill, quiet storm R&B vibe that dominated the era.  To reiterate, El DeBarge sounds incredible singing lead with his instrument sounding clear, cool, and easy on the ears.  While the first verse, as well as the second verse are terrific, it is the chorus, which is catchy and feel-good as albeit, that is the centerpiece.

“To the beat of the rhythm of the night

Dance until the morning light

Forget about the worries on your mind

You can leave them all behind

To the beat of the rhythm of the night

Oh, the rhythm of the night.”

Later, the “la-la-la(s)” featured in the outro only accentuates the vibe.  All told, 🎵 “Rhythm Of The Night” is a must-hear 80s classic.  Throwback gold, baby!

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15 Dazzling, Elements of Music Songs… Sort Of! [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic, Capitol, Columbia, Concord, EMPIRE, Fueled By Ramen, Motown, Musical Freedom Label Ltd., UMG Recordings, Inc.; Omar Medina Films, OpenClip-Art Vectors from Pixabay]

 

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the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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