SOP # 71 - Unlikely Mash-Ups

71. Unlikely Mashups: Taylor + Cardi B | Clean Bandit + Berlioz

At the top of the pop charts, Taylor Swift and Cardi B, two artists with seemingly little in common, exploit the same compositional technique to hook listeners in. Meanwhile, across time and space, electro producers Clean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels, channel the thematic tricks of French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz in his 1830 Symphonie Fantastique.
Featuring

Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
Cardi B – Bodak Yellow
Right Said Fred – I’m Too Sexy
Clean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels – I Miss You
Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique performed by Berliner Philharmoniker
Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique performed by DuPage Symphony Orchestra

2:30 - A chorus without singing
- Provocative and catchy
5:40 - Rhythmic Displacement
6:42 - 2 and 2

19:40 - Both Songs are played
23:50 - Love to Despair
26:00 - Melody is transformed over 4 movements
28:30 - Build up an EDM melody
30:30 - Melody build-up
35:00 - 4 on the floor, synth bass, and rhythm

Artist: Bob Tozier
School: North Allegheny

Notes:

Comments

Amy Muhlenkamp from: North Allegheny - posted: March 19, 2018
My favorite song that was shown in SOP #71 was "I Miss You." They explained how the music follows along with the lyrics so well. When she sings about thinking back, the music returns to a phrase introduced in the beginning.

Yosen Wang from: North Allegheny - posted: April 4, 2018
I especially liked how themes are presented throughout Symphonie Fantastique, with simple melodies in the first movement representing Berlioz's initial descent into his reverie.

Natalie Daninhirsch from: North Allegheny - posted: April 4, 2018
It's kind of a fun little game to explore other songs that sound just like each other or have similar progressions, even if they're from entirely different decades. One example of this I found would be The Who's "Baba O'Riley" and One Direction's "Best Song Ever."

Anthony Hockenberry from: North Allegheny - posted: April 4, 2018
Almost every song today has parts that are taken from other songs. It is pretty much how pop music works today.

Shane Stewart from: North Allegheny - posted: April 5, 2018
I always like it when two seemingly completely different songs' similarities are pointed out. It is very interesting to me. (And I don't mean instances like Sam Smith stealing the tune of "Won't Back Down" from Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne for that song of his, because that was just a complete rip-off and he pretended he had never heard the TP song before, even though everyone has heard that song.)

Angela Lu from: North Allegheny - posted: April 5, 2018
It's interesting to see the similarities between two songs from varying time periods. I like how they pointed out that there can be a relationship between two songs even when only a very small element, such as rhythmic displacement, is similar.

Maria Constantine from: North Allegheny - posted: April 5, 2018
In SOP #71, one of the main lessons was about mixing songs that don't seem like they would go well together. Artists that seem to have COMPLETELY different writing styles have shockingly similar ways to draw their listeners in and make them stay, an interesting topic I never thought about.

Eugenia Lee from: North Allegheny - posted: April 6, 2018
For "Look What You Made Me Do" and "Bodak Yellow", it was interesting to see how just a change in one word could add variety to the repetitive chorus.

sharon dong from: North Allegheny - posted: April 6, 2018
I never noticed the rhythmic displacement in Taylor Swift's "Look What You Make Me Do," and it was cool to learn about how that effects the chorus. It was also interesting to learn about the gradual increase in instruments in "I Miss You"

June Bracken from: North Allegheny - posted: April 6, 2018
Learning about how artists change the amount of syllables in their writings is interesting, and makes sense to me how they gain popularity due to their differentiation in rythm.

Maeve Smith from: North Allegheny - posted: April 6, 2018
I like how completely different genres of music are still influenced by the same factors, like how Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" uses the same off-rhythym style that is also integrated in Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow".

Jason Ginocchi from: North Allegheny - posted: April 6, 2018
A mashup that i thought of during this was a mixture of the songs firework by katy perry and all new materials by periphery. I found a video combining the songs and it actually works really well.

Kayla Grasak from: North Allegheny - posted: April 10, 2018
I enjoyed the song choices in this podcast and thought each of the similarities between the songs were very interesting. It is always cool to realize new things about the music i constantly hear on the radio!

Margaret Johnson from: North Allegheny - posted: October 28, 2018
I love the Piano Guys remix of the moonlight sonata. The classical music mixing with pop is surprisingly good.

Ben Swihart from: North Allegheny - posted: September 20, 2021
I think it's really interesting how mashing up songs can cross genres and even different eras of music

Joshua Morton from: North Allegheny - posted: September 20, 2021
I was listening to my fathers old group and realized they connected Johnny Cashes, The boy named sue. to one of there songs. It really showed the "mashup"

Tejal Dahake from: North Allegheny - posted: September 20, 2021
I found it interesting how Bodak Yellow and Look What You Made Me Do shared so many rhythmic similarities, especially because they are from two completely creatively different artists.

Sabrina Ferron from: North Allegheny - posted: September 21, 2021
Similarities between songs show how timeless these melodies and rhythmic tricks are. It is interesting to hear how parts of a song can be incorporated into other songs and genres.

Zoe Sage Tracey from: North Allegheny - posted: October 3, 2021
I think it's real cool that Taylor Swift anfd Cardi B, two very different artists, can make two very different songs in different genres and still be able to create something that pairs well with eachother.

Vaishnavee Sundararaman from: North Allegheny - posted: October 6, 2021
I honestly never realized that two completely different types of songs have similiar rhythmic patterns. I definitely learned something new.

Alli Kern from: North Allegheny - posted: October 10, 2021
It surprised me that pieces from centuries ago still share musical techniques with pop songs today. Examples like these really prove just how united music has always been, and will continue to be.

Quinn Volpe from: North Allegheny - posted: October 21, 2021
I really like the mashup between Cardi B and Taylor Swift songs. Their vibes are strikingly different, but together they mix really well. When you think about it, they're both sassy tunes about strong women. Musically, they go well together as well. The lines of Bodack Yellow go well with the melody of Look What You Made Me Do.

Dylan Shields from: North Allegheny - posted: October 21, 2021
I think it is interesting that Taylor Swift anfd Cardi B-- two very different artits-- can make two very different songs in different genres and still be able to create something that pairs well with eachother

Charlotte Bentrim from: North Allegheny - posted: October 22, 2021
It's werid to thimk about how much songs have in common when there are so many different notes and progressions to choose from

Cassandra Pultorak from: North Allegheny - posted: October 22, 2021
I believe mashups are mainly focused on bass and rythym. I love hearing different mashups and how songs can be polar opposite yet still put together so well.

Dillon Ferraro from: North Allegheny - posted: October 22, 2021
I think that Cardi's and Taylors song goes really well together and sounds really cool.

Bri Cobbey from: North Allegheny - posted: October 26, 2021
It's pretty cool how such contrasting artists can make mash-ups that actaully sound good.