Tag: 2000s

Us3 | The Day That I Died

Hiphop isn’t usually the first genre that comes to mind when considering modulations. But Us3, a group featuring UK-based musicians and best known for the 90s hit “Cantaloop/Flip Fantasia,” manages quite a few key changes — built around samples drawn from unprecedented access to the entire Blue Note Records jazz catalog.

“The Day That I Died” (2007) is characteristic of Us3’s eclectic lyrics, which put storytelling front and center. Modulations at 1:28, 1:47, 2:46, 3:07, 3:25, 3:44, 4:44, and 5:03.

Stefon Harris + Blackout | Until

A beautiful jazz waltz featuring the vibraphone of rising star Stefon Harris. This 2007 tune was originally written by Sting for the Kate & Leopold soundtrack. Modulation at 1:29.

Harris has said, according to All About Jazz: “For me, as an African-American, it’s part of the reason I get up. Jazz is not just fun for me. This is my cultural heritage. When I look at the great Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, as we go down the line, I feel a great deal of pressure, and honor, to be striving to be a part of this legacy.”

So Close (from “Enchanted”)

We close the week with Alan Menken’s “So Close” from the movie Enchanted (2007). I have always been fascinated by the chord progressions and overall form of this song, given that it doesn’t really adhere to the traditional verse/chorus format. There are actually three modulations in this song — the first at 1:54, the second in the instrumental interlude at 2:37 (up a minor third!), and then back down at 2:50 before the vocal returns.

Reba McEntire + Kelly Clarkson | Does He Love You

Today we feature Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson singing “Does He Love You” (2002) with a modulation around 4:49. The track won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration back in 1994. This audience knows what’s going down, since they applaud right when the key change happens!