A Music Debate--With A Twist: No. 3

Thanks to Beginner! I look forward to a fun time :) On to my first analysis! -------------------------------------------- "Swingin' Party" by Lorde is an unsettling, melodious, deeply-thought out song that, if listened to closely enough, haunts its listener with its imagery. In short, it is typical Lorde. Its production and visual imagery are two of this already strong effort's greatest strengths. And while an excellent song, Swingin' falls prey to several issues, most notably its rhyme scheme, that keep it from matching some of Lorde's greatest works, like Royals, Buzzcut Season, and Tennis Court. But, I feel that it would be disingenuous to begin my analysis with a critique, as this song is certainly very well done. It first piqued my interest with it's minimalist production. At the onset, it seemed reminiscent of Tennis Court, but, unlike Tennis Court, the percussion isn't present, and the volume is greatly reduced. Swingin's production is instead characterized by slow, continuous, extremely quiet, thumping synths. This choice has two interesting effects. Firstly, it exposes the vulnerabilities in Lorde's voice. Lorde's upper register, and her difficulties in hitting and sustaining the note on the word "feather" in all choruses, esp. the second iteration, are easily called into attention with no strong musical backdrop to support her. Secondly, the production choice builds upon the motifs created by the lyrics. References to "lampshade," or a depressant drug, mesh well with the selected synths--both serve to "down" their consumers, and both have a depressive effect. Lorde's ongoing references to prison and to execution by hanging are only emphasized by the somberness of the track. Moreover, the lyrics themselves are very well constructed. The use of the idea of a "party"--typically a happy notion--to instead imply something tragic or something devoid of positive feeling, twists the concept on its head, so as to make it stand out to every listener. The unique way in which she uses the term makes the irony impossible to miss, and thus serves to underscore her oppressive message. The idea that "being wrong [or afraid] is a crime" is one that makes an interesting critique of today's culture where everyone is expected to put forth their best performance at the risk of losing social status. There is no room for mistakes, and when mistakes are made, you are isolated--a pariah in a social "jail" where it is better to get drugged up on lampshade than to try to escape. The idea that popularity, esp. among young people, is the end-all-be-all is, as this song reminds us, is not tenable or just. But surely, this can be applied to more situation than that. I see it as relating to teens because I myself am one, and because Lorde is as well. Though, there is no reason why this could not apply to anyone who was never able to be themselves, who felt an overwhelming desire to conform, and found that burden overwhelming and that life unfulfilling. Life can be "jail" for those who feel that. Lorde seems to give us an indication that this is what she is reference when she talks about having to quit school to never "go fishin'." Life has been reduced to pounding the pavement, working hard, with no time to enjoy life. And, in this type of environment, where one is thrown into the water, but never taught to swim, how can anything be expected but for you to drown? When the lampshade runs out, or, maybe, when it is at it's pinnacle, the swingin' party truly begins. In other words, the lampshade just gets one in the right frame of mind to commit suicide by hanging--a grisly scene portrayed in so few, mellifluous, and softly-spoken words. The beauty, though, of the way Lorde constructed the message is that there are multiple interpretations through which everyone can relate. It makes the song meaningful to us as an audience. And while the song succeeds so spectacularly in its imagery and lyric quality, it does occasionally seem to be a slave to its rhyme scheme. The "forever-feather" rhyme, for instance, seems almost gratuitous. Why the feather example (re: strength), is a clever turn of phrase, it almost seems like the motivation for that line wasn't that it wittily conveyed a core message of the song, but rather that it rhymed correctly, and, more as a bonus, sounded smart. The same can be said of "proposition-fishin'." But, while these issues exist, and while the rhymes sometimes seem forced, they are, in my opinion, but minor complaints. I therefore give this song a 8.5/10. http://www.youtube.com...