Final Blog Post

 Music isn't just something that people enjoy listening to on good days, but a way we can relate and connect with others emotionally through our struggles in life. By using different musical elements and combining them all together into a song, artists are able to convey their emotional experiences in a way where listeners can be connected and feel that they aren't alone in their circumstances. My thesis is that music has the ability to bring people together emotionally through shared experiences and how each person can relate with the artist in the song. 



"Someone Like You" by Adele was released in 2011 in the United Kingdom, and the song describes the feelings of heartbreak that the artist experienced from losing her love. Her ex was able to move on with his life while having a wife, but the artist isn't able to let go and hopes to find someone else like him, even if it means that a breakup will happen all over again. This song is able to relate to countless viewers who have gone through similar heartbreaks and are able to find comfort in the lyrics. The melody of this song plays a big role in how viewers are connected by utilizing simple and flowing piano lines along with vocals to sound as if having a conversation. The dynamics are also important because the vocals start off calm and moderate as if talking to a single person, and then it becomes louder and stronger as if releasing all the emotions that were being held back. The harmony in this song is shown through piano chord progression which is simple and stays consistent throughout, which brings a kind of stability and melancholic tone to bring in sadness and eventually acceptance. I like how this song was kept simple with just piano lines and vocals to let the viewer feel the raw emotions coming from the singer, which lets people feel emotionally connected and relate to the song.



"Fix You" by Coldplay was released in 2005 in the United Kingdom, which was written by the singer Martin in an attempt to comfort his ex wife after her father passed away a few years ago. The Coldplay band was also going through serious turmoil and a difficult period in their time, and Fix You was about fixing their band through all these issues. This song is able to connect emotionally with viewers who are struggling with loss and attempts to heal those in grief. The melody plays a key role in allowing viewers to connect emotionally by having mostly a narrow vocal range as if the singer is expressing pain. Eventually the chorus comes in and has higher notes as if to convey emotional release. The rhythm in this song is slow and steady to give it a calming feeling, which viewers can be more at ease with settling into the emotions and relating to their experiences. The texture also plays an important role by making the beginning of the song feel isolated with just the vocals and an organ in the background. It creates the feeling of someone who is struggling with all the pain of loss alone. As the song progresses, more and more instruments join together and it feels as if the viewer is not alone, but able to share the feelings with others in unity. I find this song to be encouraging and uplifting towards the end because it shows that there are many others who struggle with loss and turmoil, and we can all emotionally connect with the experiences we’ve gone through.


At first I thought of music as just a way to feel emotionally connected and being able to relate to what the artist had to experience. After taking this course, it helped me learn the importance and impact that each of the musical elements have on a song. The use of each element and the way that they are implemented can determine how listeners connect emotionally and to not feel alone. It gives me a new kind of appreciation for how music is able to bring people together no matter what we go through in life.


Sources

Waterman, Doug. “The Story behind the Song: Adele, “Someone like You.”” American Songwriter, 28

Mar. 2020, https://americansongwriter.com/someone-like-you-adele-behind-the-song/.


Donovan, Thom. “The Meaning behind “Fix You” by Coldplay and Who It Helped Fix.” American

Songwriter, 18 Mar. 2024, https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-fix-you-by-coldplay-

and-who-it-helped-fix/

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