Understanding Music Essay
Understanding Music Essay
Compared to Billie Jean, Michael Jackson’s song They Don’t Care About Us is the musical work being discussed. Michael Jackson’s creations are worth hearing because he is the king of pop music.
The song They Don’t Care About Us is the most notable and outstanding example of his work since it employs rhythm to give the song’s primary topic a unique emotional coloring and to make it more powerful.
The music and lyrics of this song seem so passionate and full of true feelings about the issue because Michael Jackson wanted to communicate his emotions and sentiments about the situation in the world in general and to him personally.
Michael Jackson, Billie Jean, and They Don’t Care About Us
Under the same Epic Records label, They Don’t Care About Us (TDCAU) was released in 1995, whereas Billie Jean was released in 1983. Both musical compositions share a common theme that criticizes society for being unjust and draws attention to its harshness and evil elements. In each of the works under consideration, the protest is clearly shown.
When analyzing the melody of TDCAU, it’s vital to note that the composition is mostly built on rhythm. The voice creates the melody, which accompanies the drums’ most intense beat.
The song’s rhythm is strongly syncopated and has a heartbeat-like pulse. The sounds are ripped apart, giving the music an aggressive and powerful feel. At the same time, the meter is consistent throughout the verse and changes throughout the chorus. The song’s melody is wavy and rhythmically changes directions as it rises and falls.
The music is pleasing to the ear and immediately captures attention thanks to its lively and brisk speed. The chorus and verse’s melodic lines are two consecutive lines that come together after the song’s final chorus.
The lyrics, which represent the basic theme of human brutality and injustice in the world, are fairly forceful and give the listeners many food for thought. It’s vital to note that the song’s couplet-based structure and additional lines added between stanzas give the lyrics a more vivid and vibrant quality.
When TDCAU and Billie Jean are compared, it is clear that the former’s musical composition is more modern, while the latter’s compositional components are more conventional and classical.
Billie Jean lacks an introduction or bridge and features a more pronounced divide between the verse and chorus. The problem expressed in it is milder and not as violently stated as in TDCAU, yet it is still more harmonious than TDCAU.
Due to its mildness and smoothness, Billie Jean is pleasing to the ear and does not elicit a desire or need to move or dance. The same cannot be stated about the musical composition TDCAU because of its important and powerful rhythmic character and animalistic qualities that encourage the body to move in time with the sounds of the drums.
The motions would be rapid and impulsive rather than soft and gradual, and the dance would be enthusiastic and expressive. The emotional impact of TDCAU’s music is quite strong, and it engages listeners in the issue of social injustice that is presented.
Both tracks under discussion are original compositions by Michael Jackson. He is the primary performer, and the songs’ narratives are presented. He conveys his opinion of society’s aggressive treatment of others and denounces the cruelties the world has inflicted on him and others.
When it was first introduced to the globe, the song greatly influenced society. Because some ethnic groups could not comprehend the main idea and performer’s objectives because they generated issues, the song’s creator had to modify some particularly emotionally charged phrases.
In conclusion, one of the most well-known songs that Michael Jackson sang throughout his most successful phase of activity was TDCAU. One of the finest hits, Billie Jean, continued to be the shining light in the collection of Michael Jackson songs and won the hearts of listeners everywhere.
Despite sharing a broad notion of condemning injustice, the musical composition of TDCAU dramatically differs from Billie Jean in many ways. However, the issue in TDCAU is more serious and widespread than the one in Billie Jean, which is more individualized and localized.
The music under consideration resonated strongly worldwide, not just in the United States. The Billie Jean narrative is quite intimate, but it also sheds light on a period of Michael Jackson’s life that began to be discussed publicly.
While Billie Jean is more aesthetically pleasing and provides easier listening, TDCAU is more emotionally tinted, evoking arousing and intense sentiments. While TDCAU’s main component is a powerful beat and rhythm, the latter musical composition is more melodic and harmonic.
