Song: Youthful
Artist: Anika Moa
Songwriter: Anika Moa
Album: Thinking Room
Release date: 2001
Genre: Pop
Key: C# Minor
Chords in Key (C# Minor):
|
i |
ii |
III |
iv |
v |
VI |
VII |
|
C#m |
D#° |
E |
F#m |
G#m |
A |
B |
Youthful is written for drums, bass, guitar, vocals and some synth parts. It is limited to three chords, and because it avoids the supertonic, mediant, dominant and leading tone, it has tonal ambiguity – it could be interpreted as several different keys (although the simplest explanation is C# minor).
Verse
The verse uses only two chords, which keeps it feeling ambiguous – the guitar hammers-on from the open E string to the F#m chord, making it feel like VII - i in F# minor. The verse is mainly vocals, guitars and drums, with the bass only playing select notes.
Pre-Chorus and Chorus
The pre-chorus and chorus remains harmonically simple, adding in the submediant chord. This feels somewhat like a tonal centre, as it is the sole major chord so carries a feeling of some resolution. The pre-chorus is where we hear the bass enter properly, playing quavers. The chorus adds a tambourine playing semiquavers as well as subtle synth under the section with the vocables. Extensive layers of vocal harmonies are used to raise the overall volume of the chorus.
Bridge
The bridge uses the same chords as the chorus. However, it strips back the instrumentation to be similar to the verses, creating a change in dynamics.
Outro
The outro keeps the same harmonic/chord progression as the chorus, but eventually strips back the instruments leaving just vocals and backing vocals, creating an a capella-like part for a memorable outro.
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