What's Going On Marvin Gaye Analysis

In 1971, Marvin Gaye, a renowned Motown artist, published a concept album that would become a huge hit for both critics and casual listeners throughout the US. Written towards the end of the Vietnam War, What’s Going On would touch on subjects including war protests, unification of the American people, and the poor treatment of veterans. Gaye’s brother served in Vietnam, and much of this album shows the brother’s thoughts and feelings when he returns. Throughout his album, Marvin Gaye uses his own experiences to give us a look at why he and many others had a dissatisfaction with society and the government during the Vietnam War era in the United States.

Johnny B Goode has the chord progression of 12 bar blues. The song includes a guitar, drums, tenor vocal, bass and piano. The guitar techniques used in this song are bending notes, pull offs and slides. The piano fills on a blues scale. Chuck Berry doesn’t use many vocal techniques; it is all the same sort of tone. The texture is thick, playing as a melody dominated homophony but the intro is monophonic with the guitar alone. The song uses lyrics that are repetitive “Go Johnny Go”. The guitar uses little riffs in this song. The time signature of the song is 4/4.

Robin Thicke’s music video to his song “Blurred Lines” avidly contributes to the patriarchy, while portraying sexism, gender standards, and beauty standards. His music video can be analyzed from a feminist theory approach, as it’s evident that his song and video contribute to a patriarchal society and its inherently sexist and sexualized ideologies. The ideology behind the song and music video is purely sexual and about male dominance. The lyrics to the song and actions in the video exhibit extreme over sexualization and objectification of the women. Analyzing this piece of popular culture through a feminist approach opens up a provoking conversation about how popular culture functions in a patriarchal culture. Analyzing pop culture though a feminist theory can allow for a larger variety and more in-depth analysis about the social aspects and political agenda within popular culture.

The CEO of Motown, Berry Gordy tried to block its release, calling it “the worst thing I’ve ever heard.” Hutchinson (2014). Dyson (2005) declares that Gordy was irritated with the song's musical tributes to jazz and nervous about making something political. Furthermore, Gaye was seen as a Motown hitmaker which could be argued that making a politically charged record would be detrimental to his career. However, Gaye believed that “What’s Going On” was an important record that needed to be heard by the masses and refused to record any new material until “What’s Going On” was released. Eventually, with the help of lower executives at Motown and while Gordy was on holidays, the song was released and from that day some would say it changed the legacy of Marvin Gaye

Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New

In his article, “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” author Gay Talese writes an insightful retelling of the time right before Frank Sinatra’s fiftieth birthday. Talese was originally meant to write a profile on Sinatra, but Sinatra refused, due to him being under the weather. Instead, Talese stayed in Los Angeles and informally shadowed Sinatra. Observing the legend, and interviewing the men and women closest to him, Talese wrote a more personal profile on the singer that lends itself to a more fictional tone. This insight to Sinatra’s life, and the way it was carefully molded—Talese said that he interviewed at least a hundred people and could spend days perfecting just a small set of phrases—was very well received by readers and critics all around. In the article, Talese uses all types of writing techniques from his arsenal to make the text as exemplary as possible. These techniques include the use of figurative language and characterization, symbolism, theme, and imagery.

In this song, Chance the Rapper states he wants to be an independent musician. He is sick and tired of today’s music industry treating music as a way to make money. Nowadays, almost all of the musicians are signed by record labels and forced to make music for the money purpose. However, Chance The Rapper wants to be a true artist and has entire freedom to follow his heart to make music just like his predecessors did decades ago. He respects to the old generation artists and the freedom of music creation, so he decides to be an independent musician and make this song to tell people that he won’t join any record label.

Christopher Brian “Chris” Bridges or better known as Ludacris is one of the first and most influential “Dirty South” rappers coming from Atlanta, Georgia. Known for his fast, wild, and comedic flow, Ludacris earned his name and continues to make music to match his name. Coming from Def Jam Records and co-founder of the record label Disturbing Tha Peace, one of Ludacris’ most famous song is his “Southern Hospitality” that made it to the Billboard Hot 100 after coming out in the year 2000. This song is full of catchy alliterations and uses imagery to take the listener on a wild wide to the south, explaining the struggle of the streets and giving credit to slave culture. However, Ludacris doesn't forget to mention his successful ways and how he

In recent months, a new song has surfaced, “Everybody”; the composer, Logic, is a well know biracial rapper whose song are typically based on politics or social issues happening presently; this new song is not any different. The basic concept of the song is about how neither “whites” nor “blacks” consider him part of their culture, and he counters this with the chorus that generally says people are people and when broken down cry, bleed, and want the same things (Logic). Many allusions and references are made throughout the piece; for example, “Now picture little Bobby just a youngin’ runnin’ round with his mans, hammer in his hands, feelin’ like a man…before the popo get the gun, put it to your brain,” (Logic). These lines speak about recent police brutality against young black men and especially the Trayvon Martin case. The first line of verse two uses imagery as well as simile to convey that he is like a Jehovah witness trying to spread his truth and beliefs (Logic). He thinks that society does not want to “face facts” and admit the injustices that going on all around, so he is here to educate and enlighten (Logic). Logic also references his

The music is rebellious and its uncompromising intensity is uncatagorizable for its urgent flooding past genre definitions. Miles’ music of the five-year period is unlike any music that preceded it, and still, 30 years later, so original, so Progressive, and so inadequately described.

This novel takes place primarily in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, during the period of the 1980s to the 2000s. Renee and Rob both met there in a bar named the ‘Eastern Standard’ both at the age of twenty-three. He initially planned to keep his relationship to Charlottesville strictly one of host and guest. Both he and Renee didn’t really favor Charlottesville. Then life had another plan for Rob and it was to fall in love. The setting was also a crucial part in the story because it was a music thriving environment at the time and in Charlottesville. Also, it shows that it greatly influenced the connection that Renee and Rob made with each other. The setting

Marvin Gaye’s first hit “What’s Going On?” makes use of symbolism in his general topic covering the agonizing conditions of the everlasting matter

Many say that music has evolved over the years. This essay shall explore the elements of two versions of one song. It shall discuss the correlations and disparities of these songs and confer how it has been revolutionised to entertain the audiences of today.

Just as it was a crucial time for America in terms of politics and social issues, it was just as big for the music industry. People expressed their social opinions and political beliefs in a way that was the most true to them. Music was, and still is, a worldwide phenomenon for it has been able to take the shape of justice and to mold the minds of it’s listeners. Artists at the time had extreme social and political influence and used their defined stances on cultural issues to influence their music as well as their

In my opinion, Kendrick Lamar, an award-winning rapper and songwriter, has one of the best abilities to describe his distressed and abused lifestyle in Compton, California. He is not your original cliché artist who does not speak about anything meaningful. Kendrick, also known as K. Dot, is one of the most well known and most respected rappers in this era. Not only does he speak about his gloomy past, but he also speaks about his fortunate future. His ability to give detailed representations of his struggles and his story telling allows me to, metaphorically, enter the mind of Kendrick Lamar.