Understanding Call Me Maybe
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Жыл бұрынHa! Now that song's stuck in your head.
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About a decade ago, Carly Rae Jepsen's career exploded. She went from being a reasonably successful artist on Canadian radio to an international superstar practically overnight, all thanks to one lucky break. After the lead single for her sophomore album happened to catch the attention of another Canadian pop star, the world immediately fell in love with it, setting her on a journey that would see her local hit become an international sensation. But what makes it so dang catchy?
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@12tone Жыл бұрын
Some additional thoughts/corrections: 1) I've seen the thing I've described as popping tones called "free notes", but that's boring and it's also not widely used anyway, so why not just make up my own name? Not that I did that. Totally real music theory term, I promise. I would never lie about music theory terminology. 2) To clarify, when I said "we're in a key that contains B, but isn't very likely to use it as the focus of its melody," I meant in reference to the bass part. My point there is that G, the key laid out by the static line, _is_ likely to pull a melodic emphasis on B, and is thus a better key to read the melody in. Dunno if that came across. 3) I didn't want to get too deep into this in the video 'cause it wasn't the point, but for what it's worth, I suspect the rise if hybrid tonality in modern popular music is likely due to influences from hip-hop and EDM, both styles that decenter strong keys and frequently take more abstract approaches to their tonal vocabulary. 4) I should mention that, for most of the verse phrases, you could also read the accents as falling on the second, fourth, and seventh syllables, rather than first, fourth, and seventh. ("I _threw_ a _wish_ in the _well"_ instead of _"I_ threw a _wish_ in the _well."_ ) That makes sense written down, but listening to her delivery, it doesn't sound like the correct parsing to me. Still, your mileage may vary. 5) The demo at the end, where I lined up the guitar line with the vocal melody, suffers a bit from the fact that all three guitar layers are mixed together on the same track, so I can't avoid also changing the note pattern on the riff behind it. I don't view this as a big deal, and I still think it sounds significantly better, but I wanted to acknowledge the limitation.
@phillipsiebold8351 Жыл бұрын
Popping tones is probably more appropriate, especially when you are talking Canadian music, especially with relation to Canadian fiddling. This might also provide an answer to your mystery in that there is the concept of spooling that appears in Canadian dancing that can appear in phrasing. You don't trudge on towards a climax, keeping all your elements to that build up, but you drop off so that you can rise higher to the next, higher climax.
@TheMister123 Жыл бұрын
Hey, did you switch mics around 11:42? Your voice changes quality subtlely, somehow.
@fredashay Жыл бұрын
Hmmm. I've always thought this was just a simple pop song, but you gave me a new appreciation for how complex it really is! I'm gonna go listen to it carefully after watching your video...
@richardfox668 Жыл бұрын
putting the guitar line back in the end chorus would complete the emotional lift but this isn't a completed emotion, only a completed action. she's given him her number but the story isn't over, as we don't know if he will actually call. So mission accomplished but not completed, she's left with the glow of that success without the closure of them actually getting together.
@prapanthebachelorette6803 Жыл бұрын
@@richardfox668nice speculation!
@Insert_Bland_Name_Here Жыл бұрын
This song and "Toxic" by Britney Spears really demonstrate that you can make complex Pop music that's still easy to listen to and catchy as hell.
@vitormelomedeiros Жыл бұрын
YES. Call Me Maybe and Toxic are two of the most legendary pop songs ever, instant classics that are surely still gonna last for a very long time
@satyris410 Жыл бұрын
both bangers absolutely.
@BGL19283 Жыл бұрын
This is some thing I genuinely take issue with when people make, and have made for decades, broad sweeping accusations that all pop music is bad, when we have clear examples of genuine, creative people making music in a pop style that is absolutely generation, defining, and stands the test of time. Whether it's created by some background force and performed by known person, or it's performed and written by an individual by themselves, it doesn't matter the pop genre in itself is no different from any other genre. It's just the one currently co-opted by corporations, which almost every genre has faced in the past
@theaddictofgaming9174 Жыл бұрын
This song? This song ain't complex at all. I love it, but it's really not
@samuelitooooo Жыл бұрын
I think this explains why I instantly clicked with Japanese 80s city pop, because this is the default, rather than the exception.
@LonkinPork Жыл бұрын
It's largely been forgotten now that CRJ's career was in the process of getting its legs under it before this song dropped onto the charts like a bomb. I grew up in a part of Canada near where she's from, and she was touring around the area when _Call Me Maybe_ came out, with tour dates already locked in. So she ended up playing a show in my tiny hometown of 5,000 people right in the middle of her meteoric rise, it was super surreal at the time.
@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Жыл бұрын
I feel like that's something that could only happen in Canada.
@ChryslerPTCruiser 11 ай бұрын
oh my god yea! I remember she played a show at playland in 2012 and tickets were insanely cheap. even at 13 i knew she was already above that show (was a lot of fun though!)
@breadmoneyarchival Жыл бұрын
Ngl when you said “You could analyze it as a chord progression but I’m not going to.” The first thing I thought was “FINALLY A MUSIC THEORIST THAT KNOWS HOW TO ANALYZE POP MUSIC” Keep it up 12tone. Hopefully the world of music academia follows your lead.
@ChaiElemental Жыл бұрын
Fun fact: lead singer of Canadian pop rock band Marianas Trench, Joshua Ramsay, produced this song (and I think he co-wrote it too). Carly Rae originally conceived it as more of a folk song, but Josh wanted to make it a pop song. Marianas fans can hear Josh's fingerprints all over "Call Me Maybe," especially the inclusion of the strings. Josh. LOVES. Strings.
@connorleary9178 Жыл бұрын
Josh Ramsay the goat, dude's had his hands over some awesome pop tunes, even outside of Marianas Trench music
@ideitbawxproductions1880 Жыл бұрын
Now all I can hear when I listen to this is Marianas Trench. Barf. Thanks for that lol
@glitch1792 Жыл бұрын
Mariana's Trench is one of my favorites
@GregKletschka Жыл бұрын
I've always wondered what the folk version would sound like. She also wanted Emotion to be indie-folk. Maybe someday she'll release them 🙃
@captainayaaya28 Жыл бұрын
I wonder what that version would have sounded like. I really want Carly and Josh to work again, I know he produced some of her older stuff and even featured in her first album.
@Thinginator Жыл бұрын
This isn't just a pop song. It's THE pop song. Growing up if you asked me what the most genre-defining pop song of all time is, I would answer with "Call me maybe," and that's still my answer today. It perfectly tows the line between simple enough to get stuck in your head and complex enough to never grow old and be forgotten. If I met someone who had never heard a pop song before, this is the first thing I'd play for them as THE example of what pop music is.
@julielappano4531 Жыл бұрын
I think it's on the same tier as ABBA's dancing queen
@defeatstatistics7413 11 ай бұрын
@@julielappano4531and ABBA's Gimme Gimme Gimme
@Nooticus 10 ай бұрын
Agreed!
@Nooticus 10 ай бұрын
Not quite abba level in the level of musicality in my opinion, but pretty close!
@a13z. 4 ай бұрын
I'd play them "What does the Fox Say?" immediately after. It would be the equivalent of showing them "the definitive documentary" (probably something with Attenborough) and then "This is Spinal Tap" immediately after.
@ameliarosesheppard9007 Жыл бұрын
"before you came into my life i missed you so bad" is such a beautiful and profound line, it fascinated me in my angsty preteens when this song was popular 😂
@dkerwood1 Жыл бұрын
In defense of not using the guitar line: the guitar line and the post chorus are actually the high point of the song. The post chorus actually represents her happiness of finding something she never knew she was missing. This recontextualizes the final chorus into the fun excitement that she's having now that she finds herself complete. Adding that guitar part here would take away from its impact on the post chorus. The post chorus is the exploding balloon; the final chorus is the confetti inside- lighter but made meaningful by what caused it. Moreover, it just sounds bad over the chorus. The chorus needs the space between the staccato notes to capture the energy. The legato guitar line works counter to that energy.
@jamietaylor4260 Жыл бұрын
Just posted the same thing. On a dance floor, the post chorus is where everyone starts jumping. It's the peak, for sure.
@hudy323 Жыл бұрын
Totally agree, the guitar is nice but feels like fall/wistful/nostalgic and even on top of that it feels old, like something that would be on a soundtrack or montage. Not wrong, but not fresh
@somniloquous0 Жыл бұрын
I feel like the simplest explanation for not including the guitar line is that it would just be too much and would clutter up the arrangement. given that the whole song (other than said guitar line) is instrumentally based on just two themes, i think it's fair to assume the producer was aiming for potency through economy
@MattnUska Жыл бұрын
@@somniloquous0I agree. I think the guitar would make it sound cluttered.
@stubbsmusic543 Жыл бұрын
Wow! All this deep, insightful "analysis" with doodles too!
@Saruzeufel Жыл бұрын
6:07 drawing Nina Tucker for something that "can be combined" is an... interesting choice. Also representing "chorus of the chorus" with a Mandelbrot set is brilliant.
@jamessweeney5459 11 ай бұрын
I noticed that too... truly bizarre
@doodlebobbeh8836 10 ай бұрын
Alchemy involves combining things, so it makes sense
@spiritofnex 9 ай бұрын
I had to do a double take when he drew that. Didn't expect that at all.
@rmdodsonbills Жыл бұрын
It wasn't until you separated out the various instrument lines that I actually noticed how intricate they get in this song. I've always thought of it as sort of a guilty pleasure, but I'm finding a new appreciation for it. It's better than I've ever given it credit for. Thanks!
@rmdodsonbills Жыл бұрын
@@ghost_mall heh, I never actually felt all that guilty :)
@pizzamozzarella9911 Жыл бұрын
I've thought for a long time that this was probably one of, if not, the best radio hit of the 2010's. It is impossibly catchy, and I rarely listen to music like it, but I still love the song so much.
@pr0m3th3us7 Жыл бұрын
In every pop/rock song that has a string section, that string section carries the song. Call Me Maybe, Eleanor Rigby, Iris, Bittersweet Symphony, every single one just wouldn't work without the strings.
@sjoerdassenberg7293 Жыл бұрын
I wouldn't say *every*... but yeah it's done a lot. For some reason, even though you didn't mention it, the string part from viva la vida is stuck in my head now. lol.
@d_mickey Жыл бұрын
I like the band version of tonight tonight better personally
@Steveofthejungle8 Жыл бұрын
Drops of Jupiter
@ShadowWizard123 Жыл бұрын
Stop The Train ✋️
@moimeme6533 Жыл бұрын
Come On Eileen
@daviddalby6217 Жыл бұрын
I mean, CMM is alright, but for CRJ's true masterpiece "Run Away With Me' is the hero that wins it. Jesus Christ, that song is so fucking good.
@crimsonhawk52 Жыл бұрын
Everything on Emotion (both sides) is instant classic. Your Type or maybe Boy Problems is my favorite, cant decide
@leftovernoise Жыл бұрын
Run away with me is honestly one of the greatest pop songs of all time. The whole album is banger after banger
@daviddalby6217 Жыл бұрын
Emotion/side B and Dedicated/Side B are all excellent albums, and Cut to The Feeling is also spectacular. CRJ is a modern marvel.
@InventorZahran Жыл бұрын
Sungazer's arrangement of 'Run Away With Me' takes that song to a whole new level!
@daviddalby6217 Жыл бұрын
@@InventorZahran I love Adam Neely, but I really don't like that arrangement. The OG version of RAWM is perfect. It's one of those songs that should never be covered, because you won't better it (see also 'Another Girl Another Planet' by the Only Ones)
@user-qp2bj3rf6b Жыл бұрын
There's an article in Sound on Sound by Dave Ogilvie about mixing "Call Me Maybe." It's an awesome song, and his mix was a big part of it. It's a great read, here's an excerpt addressing the kick drum, comparing it to his work with Nine Inch Nails: "The main thing that Josh wanted me to do during my mix of 'Call Me Maybe' was to make the kick drum really prominent and punchy. He wanted me to do everything I could to make it super-special. I think I spent a good couple of hours on the kick drum alone, and kept pushing myself to create the ultimate kick drum, and have it super-loud and driving the track. When I finished the mix, I thought it really was very, very loud, and I was a little apprehensive about the power of the bottom end, wondering whether I'd gone too far with it for a pop song. But Josh and I looked at each other and said: 'This is what we are shooting for.' So we printed it like that and when I later heard it on the radio I was like, 'Wow, this is awesome.' It seems to work because of the space in the track, which I was careful to leave, which means that you can hear the punch the kick drum is intended to have on computer speakers and in cars and in stores, in fact pretty much everywhere. "My background in industrial music definitely helped in achieving this. I was trying to get the same feel in 'Call Me Maybe' as in a Nine Inch Nails song, making sure it had a pop sensibility, but with people not even noticing how aggressive the kick drum is. It was the same thing with the strings, which are canned, taken from a Miroslav sample bank, an Orkester patch and an EXS24 patch. I find that it's so easy for strings to get lost in a track. You often mix them to a level where you think they are good, and later you hear them on the radio and you think, 'Man, I should have put them up a dB or more.' Josh and I both knew that the strings provided a big hook for the song, and so he had doubled them with electric and acoustic guitars to make them sound beefier and more aggressive. I mixed these guitars in just behind the string samples, so you don't really consciously notice them, but they definitely gave the strings more kick. I normally wouldn't think that strings and guitars would combine well like that, but in this case it gave the strings such an aggression and a striking sonic image. We had to get over our fear of mixing the strings and kick too loud and for them not to drown out the vocals, which were the third crucial element. The vocals also had to be clear as day and aggressive-sounding.” www.soundonsound.com/techniques/dave-ogilvie-mixing-call-me-maybe
@kylenorthrop8735 Жыл бұрын
I know this channel mostly dissects the musical choices of songs, but I have always been impressed with CRJ's lyrics and the way that they subvert traditional pop music. The speaker always has the agency to pursue who she wants romantically in a way that yes, exists in pop music, but is not the norm. Classics such as "Run Away with Me" and "Call Me Maybe" all give CRJ the upper hand in the situation. A recurring theme throughout her entire catalogue is being confident enough to make the first move and speaking up for her own needs.
@davineuskens21 Ай бұрын
That's cool, I dont know much about her music, but I know she has very loyal fans
@onlyusernameleft2 Жыл бұрын
Part of the genius of Call me Maybe is that it's 120 bpm. The verses are exactly 30 seconds and the chorus is too.
@wyattstevens8574 11 ай бұрын
Really? That way, it could even be used as a stopwatch! On the "What I've Done" video, someone said the same thing about it (sort of- just "beats 1 and 3 are 1 second apart," but that's technically the same) Besides, how is this "genius?"
@prettierjesus3119 8 ай бұрын
The song apparently syncs up extremely well with This Is America, too.
@yaakarkad1 23 күн бұрын
@@wyattstevens8574 if a song is in 60 beats per minute, it’s in 60 beats per 60 seconds, therefore 1 beat lasts 1 second, and since a bar is 4 beats, then it’s also 4 seconds. 120 is twice as fast so it’s 2 seconds per bar. If the verses and chorus are 30 second long in 120 bpm, it means they are of 15 bars each which is really odd since it’s usually 16, so maybe it was intentional?? Or maybe I’m ready too much into it. Anyhow, even if it was intentional, I don’t get why it would be genius either
@wyattstevens8574 23 күн бұрын
@@yaakarkad1 Or remember OP said 120 = 2*60. You may not know about this one (which was no coincidence), but if you speed up the Jeopardy "Think" (aka "Final Jeopardy") music up to 136 bpm (I think by default it's about 120 as well), the whole thing is 34 bars long. That may not make sense (34 bars*2 repetitions in a minute*4 beats/bar= 272, not 136, bpm) but... if you count in half-time, it does the exact same thing. And as I said, I think that's no accident! I think the contestants would have 30 seconds "starting now" ("now" being when the host *said* "now") to find the right answer and slam on the buzzer. It was a race, but I don't know what would happen if final Jeopardy ended up as a triple stumper!
@kesslermillard9229 Жыл бұрын
The drawing of Nina Tucker from FMAB threw me for a loop. very clever 12tone, well done.
@-siranzalot- Жыл бұрын
For sure one of the hardest hitting references I've ever seen in his videos
@soup_ostrich 6 ай бұрын
it jumpscared me
@muffinthefennec Жыл бұрын
I love the instrumentalism of this song, that part being developed by fellow Canadian and Mariana's Trench singer, Josh Ramsay. I love Josh and his band, his blend of punk, pop, and in some cases softer metal works extremely well. Josh Ramsay is probably one of the most underrated musicians of our generation
@JamesOKeefe-US Жыл бұрын
Absolutely! Trencher for life :)
@ellenk560 Жыл бұрын
Agreed, and even he feels the weight of this song, as he says in Pop 101: "They say where's the next hit, baby? God, how could I top Call Me Maybe?"... His songwriting and arranging just blows my mind.
@iandean1112 Жыл бұрын
I've never been more excited for a song to be covered...
@sharragamez1318 Жыл бұрын
I'm so glad you did this song, because it was co-written by Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench, and I wish he were a bigger name so I could see more analysis of his music. I only have the background to do the lyrics for my own entertainment, which are always pretty interesting, but it feels like I'm missing 2/3 to 3/4 of the meaning.
@ChaiElemental Жыл бұрын
I would die happy if someone could break down the music theory of Astoria (my favorite Marianas album).
@idksomething274 Жыл бұрын
Astoria and The Killing Kind are my favorite tracks from them.
@whym6438 Жыл бұрын
@@ChaiElemental Wildfire, my favorite song off of Astoria, is a masterclass in emotional singing and in building and releasing tension, almost all built over a repeated three-chord loop. It's a very simple song where all the... epicness? Grandiosity? The grandiosity comes from Josh's singing and production. It's also extremely hard to sing - I know because I've tried, and it took me about a month of practice to really get all the little nuances down. Anyway, most of Marianas Trench's music is like that - simple pop songs that Josh's incredible singing, production, and arrangement turn into something special.
@WineSippingCowboy Жыл бұрын
Marianas Trench often records in Vancouver. I hear them a lot when I travel there. 😃 Totally underrated here in San Francisco, my hometown, 🌉, USA 🇺🇸.
@sharragamez1318 Жыл бұрын
@@whym6438 I love it that he doesn't rhyme "wildfire" with "higher" or "desire" and reaches for much more interesting words like "dire" and (personal favorite) "transpire."
@mitchellnagy6667 Жыл бұрын
Carly Rae Jepsen gets such a raw deal because of this song. She's a brilliant artist and is just seen as a silly one hit wonder.
@Rekalus Жыл бұрын
If you haven't heard her song "Run Away With Me" please give it a listen.
@ospero7681 Жыл бұрын
@@ghost_mall True - but how many of the people that made "Call Me Maybe" the #2 song of 2012 in the US have even heard of anything else CRJ has done? She's in the same boat as Hanson - great musicians that have one relatively simple and silly early hit in their catalogue that overshadows everything else, almost to the point of nonexistence with the general audience.
@captainayaaya28 Жыл бұрын
I really thought she was getting her third hit with The Loneliest Time… :( Other than Call Me Maybe her only other famous song is Good Time which is one of the worst songs in her discography…
@benson8686 11 ай бұрын
@@captainayaaya28I really like you" definitely was a hit as well. I remember someone lamenting how shallow that song was and I defended it by pointing out how wonderfully it captures the excitement of an early relationship when you're still trying to figure out what exactly is going on, and you know you just really like a person. And what else is music for if not to express the human experience?
@ltlbuddha 9 ай бұрын
She isn't a one hit wonder. She has multiple hits in multiple countries.
@Viviantoga Жыл бұрын
The idea that 12Tone may have just implied that Guitar String/Wedding Ring would have been a stronger single from that album amuses me in a way that very few things can achieve.
@Chris_Adams1 Жыл бұрын
This might have already been said. The Chorus with the guitar might be reflective of what happens in the video. She realizes that the person she is interested is ultimately not interested in her. So, the driving turns into disappointment. Still she has the energy to move past it but tinges the story with an unexpected twist. The story changed outside of her control. She is not ultimately discouraged, but moves on. I hope that made sense. Love your channel, keep it up. I never thought of pop music so deeply until I found your channel. Thanks dude. 🎼🎵🎶
@innertuber4049 Жыл бұрын
I'm honestly surprised there aren't more comments about the video. Also, it's a hilarious twist
@Sky-bx9mn Жыл бұрын
Came to say exactly this.
@ViltrumiteIsRite99 Жыл бұрын
SO CALL ME MAYBEE Wow, great timing. 10 years ago, this track was always on the radio during 8th grade. Catchy beat. 🤙
@profbbfab6211 Жыл бұрын
Apparently it's timeless, I'm a teacher and a month ago it was all the rage in of my 8th grade classes
@musicbydemarcus Жыл бұрын
Call me maybe truly is pop gem! The chorus/post chorus are a work of art. The production and arrangement really help to show the emotions the song is trying to convey
@sfhenno7846 Жыл бұрын
I find myself wondering if the new acceptance of poly-key ideas comes from the birth of sampling? So many of the geniuses to pioneer that worked solely by ear, so they'd find complimentary loops that work "well enough" and treat the interesting conflicts as sort of blue notes. It makes sense that, since our pop music foundation is so heavily influenced by that, it's become part of our vocabulary. I think it's great because it's artists building by sound and not necessarily by rule, even though the "rules" generally end up illustrating and shaping the process as well.
@MalloonTarka Жыл бұрын
I obviously can't speak for others, but my process is very much based on what I think would sound good. I mostly use the rules as a good source of inspiration, not a code to live by.
@sfhenno7846 Жыл бұрын
@@MalloonTarka I think that's awesome. I feel sampling has offered a way to return to thinking within sound, which is opening so many doors for artists such as yourself simply because the popular-music ear is expanding (again) to embrace new flavors. And it doesn't negate the rules at all because they exist to describe what's happening musically, not entrap us.
@amandacapsicum686 11 ай бұрын
Yes! I think you're right. It is also probably related to the use of sequencers which let you pitch an entire chord up or down without changing it between major and minor. I Feel Love worked in this way, a song which influenced the development of both EDM and Pop in the post electronic landscape. There's a video out there that calls it Chord Planing but I can't remember who by.
@sfhenno7846 11 ай бұрын
@@amandacapsicum686 Oh thank you, I'll have a look for the video. I totally hear what you're saying, and even have a personal obsession with I Feel Love because of how "modern" it sounds. I hadn't put in into context with its influence so I have more digging to explore. Which is awesome. Thank you.
@Lambretta_G Жыл бұрын
Why even suggest that the instruments are in different key between them? The bass just makes the chords inverted by simply not playing the root note.
@AlaskaSkidood Жыл бұрын
I wonder if the climax chorus section was left intentionally smaller in order to end the song leaving the listener wanting for more? If the song had a perfect dynamic cycle, it would have felt more complete at the end. However, with leaving just a little bit of potential energy out, it makes the listener feel like there's more to the story. Maybe you continue listening to the album? Maybe you hit repeat? Maybe it's stuck in your head for the next 68 hours?
@rmdodsonbills Жыл бұрын
I think you might be on to something there. I've been paying attention to the songs that get stuck in my head and it's not the ones that I've learned/memorized/internalized, it's songs that the music parts of my brain are working on, like I don't know all the lyrics or there's a tricky melody, or something like that. Maybe not bringing to the logical conclusion induces your brain to keep coming back to try to work it out.
@mrsteamie4196 Жыл бұрын
@@rmdodsonbillsooooo I like the conclusion you guys have come to! I'll have to keep an eye out as well, that's curious. I wonder if any musicologists or psychologists have ever written on similar points?
@09jojavi Жыл бұрын
The FMA reference.... 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 well played sir
@tukachaka264 Жыл бұрын
I did NOT anticipate this childhood trauma unlock in a Call Me Maybe video
@Dog-Jet Жыл бұрын
Underrated, Carly has multiple bangers on every album
@nickmasters8474 Жыл бұрын
Carly Rae Jepsen is my favorite living artist. I love her music, which embodies virtually everything I appreciate about pop. Cool to see a serious analysis of this song. I always think of it as just hanging out on IV and V; no need to shoehorn things into keys or modes or anything (some stuff obviously fits that sort of model, other stuff is just more ambiguous). This song just gets its resources from "one sharp world." Good enough for me! Jepsen has a lot of fantastic music - I can't recommend her enough to any potential pop fans. Her music is a really positive force in my life - such good vibes.
@julielappano4531 Жыл бұрын
I can't ever skip a concert of hers when she comes by the vibes are SO GOOD
@markowalski1 Жыл бұрын
Carly Rae Jepsen is so underrated, absolutely my favorite pop singer.
@emmbeesea Жыл бұрын
Yearning for simpler times, and also when I still had a flip phone. What I would give to go back.
@jasonGamesMaster Жыл бұрын
So... as a long time metal head with interests as extreme as death and black, i am not ashamed to say i adore this Carly Rae Jepsen album :D
@julielappano4531 Жыл бұрын
I think CRJ is able to cram so much movement/tension and drive that her songs do some of the same things I love about metal.
@jasonGamesMaster Жыл бұрын
@@julielappano4531 you know... that's an interesting take, and I wonder if that is what I was picking up on
@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Жыл бұрын
@@julielappano4531 people should mosh to Carly Ray Jepsen. someone should get on that.
@flansolo94 11 ай бұрын
Both me & my husband are metalheads and we've loved this song since it came out haha. It's just so catchy!
@marknewbold2583 11 ай бұрын
That's not extreme, it's unimaginative
@ssatva Жыл бұрын
It almost feels like the ending empties out a bit, almost as if the intent were to leave you wanting more? Which for an earworm is kind of brilliant.
@realroadrunnr Жыл бұрын
While I do like this song and have surely heard it hundreds of times, your analysis has made me hear stuff that I absolutely had no idea was in there, like the guitar riffs. You’re doing a great job with these analyses. Every time you do a song that I really enjoy it brings a whole new level of appreciation for the music.
@connordix1859 Жыл бұрын
Even as my tastes in music have become increasingly more varied and diverse, I’ve always thought this song went unreasonably hard
@wombat6 Жыл бұрын
I barely ever listen to the big radio hits (and I essentially don't care about pop/commercial music) but something about Call Me Maybe is just VERY catchy and memorable. Say what you want about the music industry creating one-hit wonders and then throwing them out the next year, these guys know how to write a hit song.
@Bobbias Жыл бұрын
This song was not manufactured in quite the same way a lot of hits are though. It was a collaboration between CRJ, Josh Ramsay of the Canadian band Marianas Trench, and Tavish Crowe, a singer songwriter himself who has served as the guitarist in CRJ's touring band. So it's not just a bunch of guys she's probably never met creating a song and then just passing it off for her to sing on.
@leech3427 Жыл бұрын
If you dig this I'd really encourage you to listen to her following albums Emotion and Dedication (Side A and B). It's the purest form of sticky pop music that I have a soft spot for. The Loneliest Time is also great but not quite as "bubblegum" like.
@trademarkshelton Жыл бұрын
You threw it out very briefly and casually, but I was struck when you said, "For me, the goal of analysis isn't to get inside the artist's head, it's to get inside a listener's." It's a cool thought that wasn't ever really posed to me in any of my music classes, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, as much as you want to understand how a piece of art was made, it's just as important if not more so to understand what makes it have an effect on the audience.
@dabbingperson9236 Жыл бұрын
I genuinely hate this fucking song, I was indifferent to it at first. But, It played *way* too much on UK radio, and the rest of my family loved it and they played it over and over again after buying the single on Apple Music of all platforms. However, it’s actually pretty musically interesting now that you’ve explained it. Thanks 12Tone, you made me kinda appreciate Call me Maybe.
@PartScavenger 11 ай бұрын
Likewise, I hated "Brightside" for years, and now I kinda like it.
@therobotFrom94 Жыл бұрын
I remember hating this song back in 2012. I've since come to adore CRJ's music, Emotion is one of the best pop albums ever recorded
@intrpidbhaviors Жыл бұрын
Wild that there's a lot of hate for Call Me Maybe when it was literally the biggest song of its time. You did it a fantastic service by analyzing the music theory behind it, and I greatly appreciate it. I've been a big fan of Carly Rae Jepsen since Kiss/Call Me Maybe, and her later work continues to prove that she's one of the few artists in the industry who deserves to have the success that they do have. While the genre style of the album was arguably not the best choice for a mature singer/songwriter, I'm glad it helped her get to where she is now. She's made so much better music that also deserves its own analyzing. I hope you have a wonderful day! I greatly enjoyed this video (and a few others I've been shown of yours), and I'm pretty glad this got me to watch from beginning to end. Keep up the fantastic work, you're doing great! :D
@ospero7681 Жыл бұрын
Small nitpick: It wasn't "the biggest song of its time". That would be "Somebody That I Used to Know", the song that held "Call Me Maybe" back from being #1 on the 2012 Billboard year-end chart.
@zoeybarter3246 Жыл бұрын
Shout out to Josh Ramsay, the frontman of a band called Marianas Trench that’s very popular in Canada, also one of the cowriters of this song.
@mollypocrass4562 11 ай бұрын
My favorite album of theirs is ever after. I love the concept album situation, and it is a really good album anyway.
@zoeybarter3246 11 ай бұрын
@@mollypocrass4562 ooohh yeah, that’s probably my favourite as well. Masterpiece Theatre is up there too though.
@Umski Жыл бұрын
Wow, I never realised this was released in 2012 having only just caught my ear - my daughter and her friends keep singing it so it appears to be making a comeback 😮
@erronblack1 Жыл бұрын
There is an awesome mash up with this song and Semi Charmed Life.
@JeremyForTheWin Жыл бұрын
The popping tone sequence tones in the intro are also church bell notes
@garfeeble Жыл бұрын
the fact i listened to this 2 days ago for the first time in YEARS and then this video comes out is scary to say the least
@ocean_0602 Жыл бұрын
Carl Jung’s concept of synchronicity :)
@garfeeble Жыл бұрын
@@ocean_0602 THAT SOUNDS COOL IM GONNA RESEARCH IT NOW
@silkyz68 Жыл бұрын
The Algorithm knows
@IsaiahBoutz Жыл бұрын
Is nobody going to talk about the chimera ("combination") at 6:06? I almost started crying... again!
@joeboykitz6985 Жыл бұрын
I always say it. Pop songs with strings in the chorus are solid gold. Go back and notice how many of your favorite pop songs contain strings.
@churchofmarcus Жыл бұрын
I've always loved this song and now I love it even more.
@felixecho 10 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for enabling me to justify my love of this song to my musician friends
@satyris410 Жыл бұрын
I unironically love this song, it is catchy, timeless and fun as all heck
@johnydl Жыл бұрын
I think the point at the end was to be a little disappointing, not every crush and longing is reciprocated, and the music video ties well into this point, she gets the excitement and nerves, goes out of her way, makes a fool out of herself and feels good doing so, but it didn't work out this time, and there's always another chance to try again another day or on another listen, I think this is one of the reasons why it's such an easy listen on loop song, I certainly did so for several weeks
@colinmunro3158 Жыл бұрын
Call Me Maybe was so prevalent on Canadian radio stations in the summer of 2012 that to this day there are people who initially liked the song who wish to never hear it again.
@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Жыл бұрын
Let's call that the "Last Christmas effect".
@jourdansarpy4935 Жыл бұрын
The guitar to me always represented that feeling of relief you get when the person says yes to your asking them out. It doesn’t fit with the main chorus because she’s still asking the guy to call her. But in the post chorus he’s obviously called her and he’s in her life and that feeling goes perfectly with the guitar.
@Kitchyyy Жыл бұрын
This video made me love a song i already loved even more. super good job
@elitettelbach4247 Жыл бұрын
I’ve always loved Call Me Maybe, but this video gave me an even deeper appreciation for it! Very fun presentation style. Loved all the doodles!
@tomaszmazurek64 Жыл бұрын
For the post-chorus guitar part, I have three main reasons. They are all based around the core dilemma of pop songs - how to have as much repetition as possible, but without making the song boring. 1. Avoiding noticeable repetition. In loop based music there is a rule of thumb that somewhere between the third and fifth loop people start noticing the repetition - and you have to change something. The exact moment depends on the phrase, genre, how audible the phrase is etc. When I was listening to your mock up, even my "producer intuition" kicked in with "this would get repetitive fast". Listening closer I think the phrase is repeated 4 times verbatim during the post-chorus, so repeating it four more times in the following chorus and four more times during the second post would make it overstay its welcome. Removing it from chorus solves this easily. 2. Audibility of the phrase. An interesting thing about this guitar phrase is that it isn't all that audible - the tail end of it sinks below the "so bad" in the vocal and we clearly hear only the soaring high notes at the start. Guitar and vocal fighting for attention is a pretty cool effect on its own in such an emotionally charged moment, but it also has the side effect of hiding the repetitiveness of the guitar section. Now with regular chorus lyrics being rather sparse, less intensive and lower in pitch, this wouldn't happen, the phrase would be audible as a whole and its repetitiveness would be more noticeable. I guess they would have to rework it for that context and with song coming for the final chorus they didn't want to introduce new melodic material. 3. Identity of the section. Until you've pointed it out I didn't even notice the post-chorus was based on arrangement of the chorus, just with new vocal melody and a guitar part. I thought of this section as of a genuine bridge. But I feel like playing the guitar part also throughout the final chorus would've given the trick away, making it more noticeable that this is the chorus in disguise and making it all feel more repetitive.
@MuriKakari Жыл бұрын
Purely as a listener, the post-chorus without the guitar felt like she'd been working herself up and rehearsing and that post-chorus felt like where she actually said it.
@TheDutchCreeperTDC Жыл бұрын
In the venn diagram with one circle showing people who are into music theory and the other circle showing people that like the song Call Me Maybe the overlapping section is probably not that big so I think it was really interesting and brave that you decided to make a video about it anyway and that's exactly why I decided to watch it. While I do think most musical ideas in this song are very tame you have to admit they're used very effectively and it made me think of the pixies a lot and how they use dynamic changes and simple motifs based on repetition, which is not a comparison I would've ever expected to make before watching this video.
@wiesorix Жыл бұрын
Wow, there are so many lines and details I never paid attention to, thanks for pointing them out! I went to listen to the full song again, and I really like the dynamic line during the verse. Somehow it has a very sung feel to it, even though it is just straight eight notes. Guess that is the power of the popping tone.
@Wozzke Жыл бұрын
Nooo not referencing the disturbing FMA Nina episode when you said “combined” 😭😭 haha
@Bowshewicz Жыл бұрын
I'm glad you did this analysis. I added this song into my main playlist as a joke at first, but then I started to pick up on little flourishes that I appreciated until I genuinely liked the song. This video has helped me understand exactly what was so good about the song that kept me listening to it.
@TakaComics Жыл бұрын
This is why I, generally a metalhead, hate when people don’t give different genres outside their favorite a shot. There is such good pop music, country music, techno music, etc. out there. Call Me Maybe got me into it right from the start.
@kevlarmcquevlar Жыл бұрын
Another defence of the omission of the lead guitar in the final chorus: at the end of the music video, in the reprise of the post-chorus/bridge, complete with lead guitar, Carly is rejected by the boy as he gives his number to her male guitarist instead. That's the real narrative climax of the song, with the (heteronormative) chorus (preceding it) becoming secondary! Going by the video.
@MrMccarthycdxx Жыл бұрын
I watched this video went on with my day and decided to grab some lunch. Went to DQ, grabbed some fries and as I sat down what do I hear start playing on the radio... no joke it kind of scared me lol. Love the channel man, thank you so much for being the amazing educator you are and sharing your passion for music with us lucky enough to watch.
@wonderninja Жыл бұрын
The question/response between the strings and vocals in the chorus is very rhythmically satisfying
@arthurmoufounda396 10 ай бұрын
That "Can be combined" drawing at 6:07 hurts me so bad
@nickb20 Жыл бұрын
“Can be combined” And he draws that!!!!!!!
@anthonywestbrook2155 Жыл бұрын
Can you explain why PomDeter's mash-up of Carly Rae Jepsen and Nine Inch Nails -- Call Me A Hole -- slaps even harder than either original? Deeply curious.
@EilonwyWanderer Жыл бұрын
It really does! I have such a hard time listening to "Head Like A Hole" without the CRJ instrumentation backing it... though "Call Me Maybe" does stand well on its own. Best part is that you can do "Call Me A Hole" as a karaoke track, just ask them to do the CRJ track and get up there with NIN's lyrics! 😁🤣
@anthonywestbrook2155 Жыл бұрын
@@EilonwyWanderer Dude! I've actually been practicing that the last few weeks for this very reason!
@0nYxJester Жыл бұрын
Okay, that FMA chimera was completely unnecessary and absolutely perfect.
@kassemir Жыл бұрын
Your drawing skills have gotten really good doing this. Those Cartoon Netwrok characters were spot on! :)
@sayethwe8683 Жыл бұрын
It took me until now to figure out the biggest part of why I like this channel It has the same "everything has great things about it. let's explore what those are" feeling as CinemaWins instead of "point out every little flaw and justify disliking things" that you see around because it gets clicks.
@thetraveller1246 Жыл бұрын
Time to break out my CRJ CD. Stop judging me
@carubnut 7 ай бұрын
That subtle reference to FMA is crushing it all.
@peristeronic37 Жыл бұрын
As far as why she didnt include the guitar in the final chorus, I think it's representative of what she "missed" before theyre together. The chorus obviously is from the perspective of just as she approaches him while the post chorus is after they are together reflecting on before. She specifically says "before you came into my life I missed you so bad", and if you enterpret the guitar part as their deeper emotional connection then it only follows that the part would be missing when she first goes to approach him. The guitar part is literally missing from her life until after she's gotten to know him.
@invinciblebear94 Жыл бұрын
I’m so glad you analyzed this song, because it gives me (and it looks like several other fans) such a brilliant segue to calling for you to breakdown some of Marianas Trench’s greatest hits and albums. Josh Ramsay the Lead Singer and Frontman of that band co-wrote this song, and their albums (several of which are seamless transitions from start to finish) listen more like an opera or a musical theater soundtrack than individual songs and I’ve longed for a greater deep-dive into their music for a very long time. If I had one wish it would be to see a staggering majority of their music broken down and analyzed on this channel, but that would admittedly be quite an undertaking. I would absolutely settle for several deep dives on albums or pieces that tie into the others. There’s a lot of iteration on older music as they made more which is always fascinating to get to see; an artist revisiting their works and reimagining them under new circumstances with new themes to emphasize.
@scobeymeister1 Жыл бұрын
5:20 Now that you mention it, I think you're on to something about About Damn Time. The two lines exist in tension and the track luxuriates in it. It's not trying to convey awkwardness, but I would contend it is trying to convey *queerness*. It finds a home in its odd dissonance and it's all the more catchy for it. I couldn't ask for a better banger of a pop pride anthem, is what I'm saying Edit: haven't listened to Call Me Maybe properly since the year it came out and before you even played the ramp up at ~10:00 I remembered it so vividly it gave me goosebumps. It's like counting down to work up the courage and then taking a flying leap into this breathless freefall. God that is such a powerful transition. Thanks for making these. Every time I watch one, it gives me a fresh appreciation for music I liked but was sort of taking for granted. It's so nice to have somebody taking lighthearted music and treating it with the respect it deserves for the art it is!
@scobeymeister1 Жыл бұрын
YT won't let me edit twice so more thoughts: 15:24 The line you've been reading as hesitancy I think is her internal mindset - it starts off awkward and shy, in direct conflict with her desire to reach out. But then she does and she finds her confidence, and I'd argue the change in that line reflects a change in her internal emotional state. The push to the chorus represents her pushing herself, to get what she wants even though she's terrified to do it. But when we get back to the verse it's more assertive - in pushing past her shyness in an artificial way, working up the nerve to make herself do it, she's gained a more solidly confident footing internally. Even though the verse feels like a step back after the intensity of the chorus, it also feels like she's grown stronger and the static line in that second verse reflects that.
@synapse349 Жыл бұрын
Just how do you split a song into the layers like you do so you can discuss them separately? I suppose whenever stock sounds are used its not an issue, but isolating a nearly inaudible ambient flourish underneath an entire multitrack to point out how cleverly it was placed, wow.
@rustygray5058 11 ай бұрын
It's awesome that you did a more recent pop song. A lot of people who do musical breakdowns tend to think that all the good music was made when they were kids and nothing since then has been worth listening to.
@GladmanNow 11 ай бұрын
Love your process.
@Lalo-cw1fq Жыл бұрын
Why do you use your right hand in the intro?
@blueredlover1060 Жыл бұрын
As a FMA fan you didn't have to hurt me by reminding me of her.
@MaximeDELRIEU Жыл бұрын
"I'm not sorry" AHAHAH someone has to analyze YOUR build-ups 🤣
@Belbecat Жыл бұрын
Lol the picture for "combining" things...... I choked 😂 and the Aphrodite heart for "weak", I see you
@Belbecat Жыл бұрын
I usually just listen to your videos, but just realised from watching this one how much of an anime/manga and gamer you are too. That's cool 😏
@AJ_the_Dragon Жыл бұрын
I understand nothing about what your saying, but the little doodles have me hypnotized and hearing all the diffrent parts of the song seperated is so facinating and surrel
@gsuberland Жыл бұрын
I've heard pomDeter's "Call Me A Hole" (CRJ / NIN mashup) so many times that when you played the intro notes my brain started singing "god money, I'll do anything for you".
@croaker517 11 ай бұрын
For me it's the DMX/CRJ Mashup of this and X Gonna Give it To Ya.
@GiacomoBocca Жыл бұрын
6:05 the drawing for the word “combine” made me shiver… nice reference
@CSXIV Жыл бұрын
There's a Mashup of the backing track of "Call Me Maybe" with the vocal track of NIN "Head like a hole." (They called it "Call me a hole.") The only thing more insane then the fact this Mashup exists is the fact that it works.
@allwaysareup Жыл бұрын
Ashley O - "On a roll" strike your fancy too?
@EilonwyWanderer Жыл бұрын
The only thing more insane than the fact that it works, is the fact that it works... for karaoke!
@thea-beez7693 10 ай бұрын
I've never had an earworm worse than this one! The chorus was literally stuck in my head for an entire summer and it was nothing short of pure torture.
@nickwaters9869 Жыл бұрын
Damn it. I have to go listen to it a bunch of times now.
@elianitsche5078 Жыл бұрын
- For me the guitar line is in the same frequencies that are important for the sound and understanding of the vocals, the moment they come in the vocals are way less understandable. (But I am useing mp3-files and KZfaq as sound-sources, so....) - Also the chorus does feel more bouncy, happy and carefree without them. The Guitar line ties it all way more together, which tames the energy a bit, because it wraps over the chord stabs and pauses in the vocals. This makes the whole thing have more depth and sound more grounded. At least thats what I think about it. Never have seen/heard this detail before, thanks for showing it to us.
@MalMotorDedo Жыл бұрын
I feel like this song has been w me since forever, such a bop
@chrislss8 11 ай бұрын
Great video and some fun teachable moments with the most catchy song from my high school days haha. I do think the beginning is just an open G chord to a e minor chord. The melody finally introduces the third, which is very satisfying.
@elinolasco1019 Жыл бұрын
I’ve been subbed for years and I just realized why you write from right to left.
@somniloquous0 Жыл бұрын
imo (iirc) this song, Teenage Dream and Digital Love all create a thematically-relevant sense of longing by mostly avoiding unambiguously resolving to the tonic chord
@rachelbockrath6276 Жыл бұрын
This song was my ring tone for a good long time because I thought (still think) that was a perfect joke on getting a phone call! Such a fun song.
@lucasmartins8846 Жыл бұрын
I love your drawings and your content 😊
@cafespy6906 Жыл бұрын
I've always wondered how I could possibly know all the lyrics and melody of a song I never went out of my way to listen to. And I think you've answered my question.
@ivechang6720 Жыл бұрын
Thanks! You just described something I have issues with in other areas of life via music. I'm not a musician but I think I'll try bouncing my new analogy off some musicians I know to see if they think it fits. THIS is part of why I study fields that I don't even rank as a base amateur in. I never know when folks like you might have a concept I'm struggling with nailed down to a science. 😅👍
@juanvillagar2958 Жыл бұрын
6:08 "combined" don't remind me... the fact you sneaked that there lmfao (iykyk)
@egalomon Жыл бұрын
5 years ago, Mic The Snare did an in-depth breakdown of "Run Away With Me" - and now yet another CRJ analysis? Damn!
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