"Paparazzi" By Lady Gaga
“Paparazzi” is perhaps one of the moderately controversial works by the American celebrity Lady gaga. It is a piece that is in the album “Fame Monster” which has received a worldwide following in the same measure as critique. On a closer look of the piece’s composition, one can discover a clever incorporation of the musical elements in the way that writing has been executed and the general delivery that is in the song. Because of its standard verse-chorus format, it is a perfect example on how great pieces of music can be composed. We are going to focus on the seven elements of music namely scoring, rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, texture and form then focus on how they effectively transpire in this subject.
The piece is an up-tempo composition that is similar to the now famous “just Dance” which was a chart topper too. The scoring or the sheet that the song is written in this song is conspicuously notable on the chord progression. The score is unique and flows in a manner that is standard that makes the reader have an easy time understanding. The rhythm or the general movement of this piece can be described as sultry. The tempo is averagely 115 beats per minute making a good mover too. These descriptions are typical of all Lady Gaga’s songs and are motivated by fast and club-oriented themes which are in sync with the teenage market (Gaga, 2009).
One thing that one can’t help but notice is the melodic construction. It is simple and beautifully sampled in both the verses and the chorus bit. The verses for instance uses a motif of descending 5th which one important element especially on the part “We are the crowd, we’re coming out Got my flash on, it’s true…” Many a songwriter at this point incorporates a partial descending minor scale to achieve beautiful results and this is no exceptions.
When analyzing a particular song, one cannot completely do that without mentioning the dynamics involved. This is the loudness or softness of a piece of music and how the volume comes out in the manner that it does so. In this particular song “paparazzi’ has a frequency of about 15 kilohertz meaning that it is a higher than averagely prepared song. It is audible and the measure of its frequency makes it a good club song.
The harmony of the song is the definite catch point of the piece. The song is has a bright mood in the syncing of the vocals and the instrumentations as it progresses. This is achieved because the verses which are minor switching to the major as it approach the chorus. All chords come from one key which is an A-flat major and are effectively used in both the verses and the chorus making it a connection that is worth the listen. The connection also benefits the song because it prevents it from becoming stale and tasteless. The chord progression is Cm Ab Fm or in a layman’s language from C minor, the chords are as follows: i VI iv; and from Ab major, they are: iii I vi (Gaga 2009).
The chorus can be said to be catchy and easy for the ear. This is one aspect that the songwriters of popular music tend to use.
Structurally speaking, the song is constructed cleverly on both the theme and the message that it portrays. It basically uses all the basic musical elements albeit in a small manner. In conclusion, the song is composed using an intelligent approach. All the basic seven aspects of music are properly utilized. Apart from the fact that the theme and the style is not “so Lady gaga” as we are used to it scores highly in the execution.
