Final Exam (90s - 2000s) (Part 2) Flashcards
21st Century Retro Trend
References to the past popularized:
- Mariah Carey
- Lady Gaga
- Adele
We Belong Together (Mariah Carey)
Gospel/soul influenced
- Simple piano chords which follow a 70s progression
- Molisma = one syllable, many notes
Poker Face (Lady Gaga)
Synth pop/EDM ancestry
- Modern Madonna
Rolling in the Deep (Adele)
50s/60s girl group influenced (backup vocals)
Bruno Mars
Quintessential retro consciousness
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars)
Retro throwbacks:
1. Ballad style (sentimental, folk narrative)
2. Intimate vocals
3. Hip Hop inspired verses
Just the Way You Are MV (Bruno Mars)
Retro choices include:
- Clothing
- Use of walkman/cassette tape
- Record scratches in background (adds nostalgia)
Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars)
- “Minneapolis Sound” (funk & synth-pop)
- Soul vocals
- Disco beats
- Lawsuit with The Gap Band (“Oops Upside Your Head”) forced Ronson to list them as co writers (and receive royalties)
Uptown Funk MV (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars)
- Clothes & Dancing = Nod to Prince, MJ, James Brown
- Hair perm! - Dancing in front of 1985 Lincoln Town Car
Sound of 21st Century
Technology!
- No one style, gradual evolution > breakthrough
Digital Audio Workstation (Recording Software)
Allow unlimited alterations to songs
- Assembly approach (layers) takes over composition (one shot)
Cons from DAWs:
Dehumanizes music?
- Ex. Erasing intake of breath
Tempo fluctuations?
- Ex. result only from human-played instruments
Autotune?
Pros from DAWs:
Inexhaustible archive of music
- Ex. Natural Blues (Moby) = sampled Trouble So Far (Vera Hall) from 40 years prior!
- Dance track (texture builds, repetition)
MPEG (follow up to WAV)
Digital file compression algorithm
- Gives rise to MP3
Napster
First centralized server for sharing music files
- Did not violate copyright laws (music was not ‘stored’) but still infringed upon them
- RIAA shut it down
iPod
1st generation held 1,000 CD quality tracks + shuffle
iTunes
Storage → store
- Hold Outs: Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, The Beatles
Pandora
Pioneer streaming service
- Radio station-like designed according to listener preferences
- Limited capabilities (cannot hand select songs)
Battle of the Streaming Services (Spotify VS AppleMusic VS Tidal)
Different ways of assigning royalties:
1. Spotify = what % of songs are streaming relative to total songs
2. AppleMusic = per # of streams
3. Tidal = low royalties, but some exclusive tracks
Part owners are Beyonce, Jay Z, Ye, Rhianna
Subscription VS Free Music Services
Artist annual revenue is $4 compared to $100
YouTube Breakout: A Million Ways (OK Go)
$5 video lip-synching in backyard garnered 9 million views
Google Buys YouTube
Price = $1.65 billion
- This after Warner Music makes entire MV catalog available on service
YouTube Breakout: Next To You (Justin Bieber)
Posted a Chris Brown cover at age 14 → was flown to Atlanta by music executives
YouTube Breakout: Lady Gaga
Built international fanbase by using YouTube as a modern ‘MTV’
YouTube Breakout: Gangnam Style
First international hit created by YouTube
Changes to Rock in the Digital Age
- Cutting out the middleman = music provided directly to audience
Planet Earth (Prince) = released for free
- In Rainbows (Radiohead) = made available for any price
Songs of Innocence (U2) = iTunes automatic purchase fiasco - Royalties from concert promotion companies
- Ex. Madonna deal with Live Nation = profits from concerts, merch, ‘brand’ - Flexible release timelines (eliminating time for physical production)
- System of a Down, Green Day, Justin Timberlake, Prince, Future - Boundaries no longer determined by record companies
Nickelback
Traditional commercial approach (radio and TV promotion)
- Grunge band, country leanings
Photograph (Nickelback)
From All The Right Reasons album, which sold 7 million copies
- Grunge = metallic guitar
- Country = rhythm guitar, vocal inflection