Music Analysis #1

"Stay With Me"

 I am a huge fan of music that has an effect and understands real-life situations. My latest craze has been Sam Smith and his melodious voice. Not to mention his instruments of choice (mainly the Piano). Full name Samuel Frederick Smith, who is a English Singer-Writer, took Britain by storm on the UK Charts and made his way to the U.N Billboards Top 100.

The song “Stay With Me” written by Sam Smith, James Napier, and William Phillips is a beautiful song for the heart. The lyrics to his hit song “Stay with me” has really hit the nail in the ideals of trying to love someone who has no interest in loving you back, it was all just a one night stand. Hurtful yet true those words were. The chorus of this song and the heartbreak is truly felt “Oh won’t you stay with me? Cause you're all I need, This ain’t love it's clear to see, But darling stay with me.”. One of the things I love about the song is that it doesn’t sugar coat the feeling of hurt, it encases it yet gives you a feeling of freedom all at the same time.

 The video is linked Below.

The Beat and Tempo does not change through the whole song, a lonely beat in the background. It's really interesting to note that even though it is a slow and calming song, its mainly 3 notes played on the piano. It's easy to hear in the background of the song even while Sam Smith is singing, the drum creating a beat, and the tambourine adding onto the song.  I enjoy the songs calming effect and it was a real joy to teach my niece this specific song on the piano due to its more simplistic notes.

Who doesn’t love a great pitch that won’t break the eardrums? Listening to music is one of my favorite past times now, I mean really listening to music and all its layers of elements. In Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” there is some note skipping that is hard to miss. The three piano notes are not of the same pitch, the beginning key is lower than the two notes that come after it which are little higher. It's what makes the song lovely to sing along with. Not too high where it might have made the song a little uncomfortable to hear but high enough to give the song a peaceful melody. Sam’s singing voice is also skipping a few notes which are easier to tell from his tenor voice (which is the highest a males voice can go while singing). He sings in a low pitch for most of his lyrics until he reaches his chorus in which his voice really shines. 

Erine Keane, from The Salon. com, called Sam Smith “British blue-eyed soul.”

Joe Gross, from the Rolling Stones, had made a statement about Sam Smith’s opening lyrics “Cause it’s true I’m not good at a one night stand” stating “like he knows the line is money in the bank.”

                                                                                                                                        

“Stay With Me.” Songfacts. Songfacts, LLC. n.p.n.d. Web. 25 Sept.2017.

Gross, Joe. “Sam Smith: Stay With Me.” RollingStone. Rolling Stone Magazine. 4 April. 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2017.
"Sam Smith." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. n.p. 21 Sept. 2017. Web. 25 Sept. 2017.