Song Appeal: Recent Episodes
Hunter Farris
Why do we like the music we like? In each episode of Song Appeal, we take a look behind the curtain at a popular song to the tools it uses, drawing on everything from music theory, to neuroscience, to rhetoric, to linguistics to find an answer to the biggest question of music.
Why do we like "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay? In this episode, we take a look at how songs make themselves esasy to sing along to through lyrics that are easy to predict and easy to process. You can find the transcript for this episode, the shownotes, and a link to hear the song at SongAppealOfficial.com/SomethingJustLikeThis. You can support Song Appeal on Patreon at Patreon.com/SongAppeal.
Why do we like "Rewrite the Stars" from The Greatest Showman? In this episode, we take a look at how "Rewrite the Stars" constantly changes so it can constantly keep our attention. You can find the full transcript for this episode, the shownotes, and a link to hear the song at SongAppealOfficial.com/RewriteTheStars. You can support Song Appeal on Patreon at Patreon.com/SongAppeal.
In this episode, Tracy Goodwin (a voice coach who specializes in the Psychology of the Voice) shows some principles of how people sing that make us like or dislike their voice more. You can find the full transcript for this episode and the shownotes at SongAppealOfficial.com/TracyGoodwinInterview. You can also support this podcast at Patreon.com/SongAppeal.
How do the themes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe affect us psychologically? In this episode, we take a look at how melody affects our perception of an experience. You can find the full transcript for this episode and the shownotes at SongAppealOfficial.com/MCU. You can also support this podcast on Patreon at Patreon.com/SongAppeal.
Why do we like "Big Yellow Taxi" by Counting Crows ft. Vanessa Carlton? In this episode, we explore the song's rhetorical structure that leads us to agree with the point of the song. You can find the full transcript for this episode and the shownotes at SongAppealOfficial.com/BigYellowTaxi.
In this episode, singer-songwriter Gavin Geddes shows how music can be more enjoyable through unexpected musical choices, especially unexpected chords and song structures. You can find the transcript for this episode and the shownotes at SongAppealOfficial.com/GavinGeddesInterview.
Why do we like "Closer" by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey? In this episode, we take a look at how it gives us suspense by having as little resolution as possible so that we stick around through the whole song and enjoy it the whole time. You can find the full transcript and the shownotes at SongAppealOfficial.com/Closer.
Why do we like "Some Nights" by fun.? In this episode, we take a look at how "Some Nights" uses 1-syllable words to make itself more easily understood so it can overcome the barriers of its unusual song structure. For the transcript and shownotes, visit SongAppealOfficial.com/SomeNights
Why do we like "Just the Girl" by The Click Five and "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne? In this episode, we break down the emotional structure of these songs made up of their highs and lows and how they use the perfect emotional structure to give people a great time. For the transcript and shownotes, visit SongAppealOfficial.com/TheClickFive-FountainsOfWayne
Why do we like "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" by Fall Out Boy? In this episode, we'll take a look at the emotional power that a really good melody can have as we see how "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" instantly sounds nostalgic by drawing on melodic ideas we've heard all our lives. For the full transcript and the shownotes, visit SongAppealOfficial.com/FallOutBoy.