‘What makes songs catchy’: a cognitive analysis of melodic hooks in twenty-first century popular music

Abstract

What is it about the vocal melodies of popular music that make you want to listen again and again? This music-theoretical study applies principles of Gestalt psychology and theories of expectation to a study of melodic hooks in 21st-century popular music. The hypothesis tested here is that melodic hooks are a vital element in “catchiness”. Transcription and analysis of melodies by major recording artists is used to explore the note-to-note basis for melodic hooks. The analysis of recordings by Adele, Carly Rae Jepsen, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke shows how factors of repetition, familiarity, simplicity, resolution, ambiguity of key, and expectation all contribute to the sense of catchiness in music. A listener-response study was used to test the experience of catchiness in the case studies, and corroborates the hypothesis that catchiness depends principally on expectation as an overarching factor. The study also uses auto-ethnographic reflection on the practice of song-writing to give insight into strategies for creating catchy popular songs. The experience of composing a pop song, and releasing it on air, provides unique insight into the artistic process. The results of all these studies show that the perceptual principle of expectation is a crucial factor in the experience of catchiness.

Ingabe yini eyenza iminkenenezo yomculo odumile ikukhange futhi ikuhehe ufise ukuwulalela kaninginingi? Lolu cwaningo lwethiyori yomculo lusebenzisa imigomo ye-Gestalt psychology kanye namathiyori alokho okulindelekile (theories of expectation) ukucubungula nokuhlaziya amavesi eminkenenezo emnandi futhi ekhangayo yomculo odumile wekhulunyaka lama-21. Ihayiphothesisi ehlolwayo lapha wukuthi amavesi eminkenenezo emnandi futhi ekhangayo ayingxenye esemqoka kakhulu “ekukhangeni” komculo. Ukubhalwa nokuhlaziywa kweminkenenezo yabaculi abayizikhondlakhondla abaqopha umculo kuyasetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo ukucubungula inothi nenothi levesi lomnkenenezo omnandi futhi okhangayo. Ukuhlaziywa komculo oqoshiwe ka-Adele, Carly Rae Jepsen, Pharrell Williams kanye no-Robin Thicke kuyabonisa ukuthi izinto ezinjengokuphindaphinda, ukujwayeleka komculo othile, ubulula bomculo, ukuguquka kwenothi lomculo libe ngumnkenenezo ohlabahlosile (resolution), ukungaqondakali nokungaqiniseki ngokhiye womculo (ambiguity of key), kanye nalokho okulindelekile, konke kuyizinto ezilekelelayo futhi ezifaka isandla ekukhangeni komnkenenezo womculo. Ucwaningo lwendlela abazizwa ngayo abalaleli bomculo lwasetshenziswa ukuhlola ukuthi bakhangekile yini labo balaleli bomculo, kwizincwaningo-zigameko zokulalelwa komculo, futhi lolu cwaningo lwasekela lwaphinda lwaqinisekisa ihayiphothesisi ethi ukukhanga komnkenenezo womculo kuncike ikakhulukazi kulokho okulindelwe ngumlaleli womculo njengombandela-ngqangi wokuheheka nokukhangeka kwakhe. Ucwaningo lusebenzisa futhi nokuzibandakanya komcwaningi (auto-ethnographic reflection) enqubweni yokubhalwa kwamaculo ukuze athole ulwazi olunzulu futhi aqondisise kahle amaqhingasu okuqamba izingoma ezidumile ezinomnkenenezo omnandi futhi okhangayo. Ukuzibandakanya enqubweni yokuqamba ingoma yomculo we-pop, kanye nokuyikhipha ukuze idlalwe emisakazweni, kuhlinzeka ngethuba eliyingqayizivele lokuqonda ngokujulile inqubo yokwenza umculo. Imiphumela yazo zonke lezi zincwaningo iyabonisa ukuthi umgomo wendlela-kuhumusha izinto ngokwalokho okulindelekile wumgomo osemqoka kakhulu ekufikelweni komuntu ngumuzwa wokukhangwa nokuhehwa ngumnkenenezo.

Zingantoni izandi ezimnandi zokuvuma ezivakalayo zomculo odumileyo okubangela ufune ukuwuphulaphula njalo njalo? Olu phononongo lomculo ngokwenkcazelo eyingcingane lusebenzisa imigaqo-siseko yemeko yengqondo iGestalt (Gestalt psychology) kunye neengcingane (theories) zokulindelweyo kufundo lwezandi ezinomtsalane okubambayo kumculo wenkulungwane yama-21 Ulwazi oluyingcamango engenabungqina oluhlolwe apha kukuba izandi ezimnandi zokuvuma ingoma ziyinto ebalulekileyo "ekubambeni lula". Ukubhalwa kunye nohlalutyo lweengoma ezenziwa ngabaculi abaphambili bokushicilela kusetyenziselwa ukuphonononga isiseko senowuthi ukusuka kwenye ukuya kwenye inowuthi ngokwezibambo zokuvakala kwezandi. Uhlalutyo lokushicilela luka-Adele, Carly Rae Jepsen, Pharrell Williams kunye noRobin Thicke kubonisa indlela izinto eziphindaphindwayo, zokuqheleka, zobulula, ukusombulula, nobumbolombini kwikhi kunye nokulindelweyo konke kunegalelo kumba wokutsalwa ubanmbeke emculweni. Uphononongo lokusabela komphulaphuli lwasetyenziswa ukuvavanya amava okufumana ifuthe lomtsalane kwizifundo zabucala, kwaye zihambelana nengcinga yokuba ukubamba kuxhomekeka ikakhulu kulindelo njengeyona nto iphambili. Olu phononongo lukwasebenzisa imbonakalo ezenzekelayo kwinkcazo yenzululwazi ngeentlanga kumsebenzi wokubhalwa kwengoma ukunika ukuqonda ngeendlela zokuyila ingoma ezimnandi ezidumileyo. Amava okuqamba ingoma ye-pop, kunye nokuyikhupha emoyeni, inika ingqiqo eyahlukileyo kwinkqubo yobugcisa. Iziphumo zazo zonke ezi zifundo zibonisa ukuba umgaqo-siseko wengcingane yokulindelweyo luphawu olubalulekileyo kakhulu kumava okubamba.