Deconstructing 'Levitating' by Dua Lipa

In this detailed analysis of the Dua Lipa hit "Levitating" I take a look at the elements that producer's Koz and Stuart Price used to craft a perfect dance-pop track.
I LOVE how this track uses simple elements to create some real complexity, both rhymically and harmonically. The simple drum groove has just enough of a hook to pull your attention, but it's real brilliance is in how it leaves space for all of the other musicians. In fact, this track is a masterclass on how to interlock the different elements of your production from a performance perspective. The drums stay sparse so that the other instruments can breath. When the guitar stop, the bass fills in. When the drums have a cool fill, everything else holds off to let it grab your ear. Even the vocals make use of great call and response with the synths in the chorus.
I recreated the track in Logic Pro in order to talk about the different elements. If you're interested in this type of thing- check out some of my other "inspired by" recreations in this playlist: • Layer By Layer
00:00 Introduction
00:22 The Groove
01:34 The Chords
05:08 The Bass
07:11 The Vocals
If you have questions about how I did it, please ask away!
For more videos analyzing pop songs: • Hot Takes - Song Break...
My series on great harmony in famous songs: • Really Cool Harmony
#musictheory #production #songanalysis

[@benjaminpeter8189]

This is my first KZbin comment in 15 years of using the site. I am just writing to tell you that out of thousands of videos on hundreds of channels I have watched, this recent series of videos of yours is by far the most helpful for me as a producer/songwriter. Everyone else either dumbs it down too much or delves way too deep into areas of music theory that none of the original creators ever thought or cared about. You get to the core of what makes the songs work in a well thought out and useful manner. Please don't mess around with the formula too much just because your subscriber levels aren't spectacular yet. The quality of the content will work its way through the algorithm for sure. Thank you!

[@springvalleysummers1132]

Bless up. This dude is gonna blow up 🚨🚨🚨🏄🏻🏄🏻🏄🏻🚀🚀🚀⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️

[@MusicIsAVerb]

I wanted to take a second to truly thank you for your comment. I can't tell you how encouraging it is. One of my missions with this channel was to not "dumb it down" or start from the very beginning with every single concept, and so it's really meaningful to hear you say that. KZbin can be a beast to try and figure out what it wants- but I've definitely resolved to just keep going, in large part from comments like yours. Thank you!

[@benjaminpeter8189]

@@MusicIsAVerb here's a suggestion: Lists. yeah I know they're a cliché. but every music channel I know had their big break with one or several list videos. And your format so well suited for that without betraying what makes it great. You are already making lists of the production and songwriting elements. Just name the next analysis- video "12 things that make Song X work" and count the elements that you are putting on the list. And I would actually love a general "10 things to listen for when trying to reproduce a song" video. No. 1. "Always listen to the bass first..." Either way, I wish you much success!

[@lilramon]

you said everything dude

[@brianstern7957]

Highly agree

[@lambotama]

Dua's got the best bass lines

[@ccseancc]

As a self taught producer you don't understand how helpful your content is. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MAN!!!

[@soyagustinparedes]

I literally search "why is levitating so catchy" and I need to tell you, I'm very happy with the result.

[@redmed10]

The songs simplicity is its genius. Little bit of variety to keep it interesting.

[@nn567]

I'm a 60 year old guy who grew up on rock guitar. However this song, does absolutely something to me pure pop genius. I love it

[@lilyluna8225]

Dua lipa is a vocal beast why the simple music works.. if she didn't have the chops this song would be so boring.. love her

[@caroldejonge2018]

Thanks for this great analysis!! My son-in-law (Koz) was instrumental in producing and writing this song for Dua !!! We are so proud of him !!

[@rimini201]

He’s a genius!!! Love this song 👌 🎧

[@robbievalentine8239]

this whole album is so so good. prob my favorite album of 2020

[@subashshekar]

It is criminal this video hasn't gone more views than what it has. What a talent you are.. not just your knowledge of music but your ability to articulate and that fluid cool self confidence.. the best to you man 👍

[@TedTalksBass]

Two seconds into the video already a fan

[@MrTommytuna]

Wow. Great explanations of why Dua Lipa’s songs work so well. I recently became totally hooked on listening to her four songs in the NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The performance is seemingly so unadorned and simple. But there is obviously a lot of secret sauce going on in making those four performances so addictive to me. Your explanations are understandable, and your demonstrations of the constructs used make perfect sense, and your demo shows clearly how and why they work. Thank you. This is a great video.

[@dalfin9286]

That synth sounds like it was lifted straight from Super Mario 64. One of the many reasons I love this track so much!

[@davidlove5058]

The most fascinating video I’ve watched on YT for ages. Thank you.

[@lilramon]

As an admirer of music i always got myself thinking of how a particular song worked and what was behind it. I be like that for hours, and then youtube algorithm showed me this and i instantly subscrited. You really nailed it my man.

[@kaseta]

Amazing job at deconstructing this incredible song. Super nice job. You feel the music like me!

[@BrianBlickMusic]

These breakdowns are amazing. Thanks for putting in the time to share your knowledge and passion.

[@Ryan3Mitchell]

I just stumbled on this video and boy was it refreshing! Thank you for all the work you put in. You’ve earned a new subscriber!

[@northernicebushcraft4022]

Seriously one of the most helpful and useful production videos I've ever seen on YT. Thank you. Immediately subbed.

[@turbolento9145]

This is a gem, thank you for your work and keep it up, because is amazingly useful!

[@Geermann97]

Great video dude! Keep on with this content, you will definetely fly high

[@paulkyle]

Such a professional video. Lots of insight. And a charming charisma too. Loved it

[@anothertypicalproduction5346]

This video is the most insightful vid I've seen deconstructing a song. I always wondered what made this song feel so "full" and you explained it expertly. I produce a little as a hobby and I just wanted to express my genuine gratitude bro. Keep it up!

[@sebasvil4435]

This video is by far the most complete, I'm a clasic music student but also love production and stuff like that keep going please

[@hereiamchris]

Kyle, Thanks for breaking it down , Love the details.

[@Rajeevnair1959r]

I am so glad to come across content like this that genuinely deconstructs music so that musicians like myself gain a better sense of how to continue being innovative with the music we create. I'd love to see more like this and, honestly, if you haven't done it already, you should consider a tiktok profile with this content! I watch a lot of similar content on there and the best part about it is that it's optimized for showcasing a musical tidbit here and there. Thanks again!

[@kbyethx]

Great analysis. I feel a lot better about listening to this over and over and over and over now. Thank you!

[@befinbabu1322]

Beautiful explanation..hope this channel blows up💯

[@jensenraylight8011]

dude, you got the perfect formula of making a song breakdown video. the ton of other guys who make the same video literaly just doing stuff in front of the DAW all the time, took 30 minute to explain everything, did not prepare beforehand, ,did a poor job pointing out each music element and not explaining the theory behind it

[@luanamattos4519]

this is amazing, you’re soooo underrated, thanks a lot for real, i definitely subscribed

[@TikoV73]

Gosh you got the cogs in my brain working over a tune...now i will end up deconstructing any track I hear.

[@tylerdavis8625]

Bruh! This is amazing! You’re gonna have millions of subscribers in the future - great content

[@SeanLima]

I'm very happy I discovered this channel. Super interesting and informative. You describe what's going on very well!

[@MrIncredibleUncannyCanny]

Awesome analysis! I can only echo what others are saying here in that you provide the right amount of detail to capture the essence of how the song works. Bravo!

[@ernieblessed9510]

i mean wow, this is what is needed in the entire youtube, this gold stuff

[@jeep1025]

I'm a DJ and this is one of my favorite songs at the moment. So cool to listen to your break-down! Thank you!

[@macc7245]

Great in depth analyzation of the chords! Breakdown of the mix and vocals, spot on!

[@ballpointpenyuh]

great explaining and engaging editing = amazing content, KING!

[@user-do6ob7ls2x]

Thank you so much for this! I'm not the target audience for these songs you're doing breakdowns on, but your work made me want to listen to these songs more than the million dollar marketing budget they probably spent on promoting it. Thank you. sidenote: How the static one-note vocal line actually works to color the chord progression is eye-opening to an amateur like me. Almost the entirety of hip-hop up until very recently is literally built on this!

[@MrEstiui]

Extremely useful analysis, thanks for this great content!

[@billtheone1]

Amazing video !you really caught the main idea of the producers... Well done 👍!!!

[@Berserker1041]

I suck at music theory and it kinda is hard to understand, but watching you break down the song to it's fundamentals made me interested in music theory, I learned so much from you. keep up the great work!

[@shionasam]

You just inch out every bit of chords I love it man

[@gregsmith4406]

This was great. My band is thinking of covering this song. It's relatively simple...and your breakdown is SUPER helpful in terms of communicating to the other members of the band what they need to be doing and listening for in the original. Great stuff. I'll be back for more! Thank you!

[@modulusquantum6455]

Likewise. Couldn't believe she didn't absolutely own the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. We're currently working up this piece. Crucial info in understanding the construction. Break a leg- Cheers.

[@fad1969]

Fascinating! Excellent work, thank you so much!

[@pear74]

I love this breakdown! Keep it up i really enjoy this :)

[@siddzzyy5718]

OMFG!!!!!!THIS WAS SO COOL!!!!!!! HER ENTIRE ALBUM IS A MASTER PIECE

[@jamessteam2051]

Great job man! Keep up the good work!

[@donabachour4925]

Great video! I loved every second of it

[@christophersalice4917]

Yeah Dude, that was amazingly insightful!

[@winningestjockey]

Thank you for this!!

[@rasmusruonakoski1398]

Great analysis! Lately my favourite production's been Keep Moving by Jungle. Keep up the good work!

[@aviruptheguitarist]

Just now I found your channel , I loved your content of Music Production and Breakdowns . Subscribed!!🙂🙂

[@bobthathead3]

I love this!!!! I hope you put out more content soon!!

[@ideaynojodas]

Man! That was some explanation right there! Well done sir!

[@handsome_evan]

Man - awesome content! Thanks a lot and keep going

[@MikeWong398]

awesome brother. well done. thank you

[@TheDeviceHD]

Your analysis is truly amazing :D Super interesting, I wish I would already be as good in music theory as you ;D

[@CovelliProductions]

amazing content, love the breakdown - you nailed this

[@MusicIsAVerb]

Thank you!

[@adem_gun]

Hey man this is a fantastic breakdown, instant sub!

[@becaliol]

I just found this channel and I’m loooving it!!

[@RedDawg]

Thank you for breaking down the song to where it makes sense. Plus, your name is pretty cool (I teach English at a local college). I have been playing the piano/organ/keyboards since 1975, and your ability to explicate the different parts is spot-on. Please keep up the awesome work.

[@gwen3829]

Hey! I play bass and I learned so much from this! Thank you

[@peterdewbery2272]

You, my friend, have a new subscriber - so glad I found this video, it's great!

[@michaelanthony7112]

I really like this breakdown! Levitating is one of my favorite songs. One of the things that surprises me about its arrangement, though, is how many times the line "I'm levitating" is repeated. It seems to me that the chorus should end with "Come on dance with me". (It actually does in a few of the cover versions.)

[@irenecamargomacedo6626]

It’s because she’s so in ❤️ that it looks like she’s literally levitating 🕴.

[@lpmarketing5015]

asolutley love this! best music content ive seen on par with Justin guitar! your truly great keep it up!

[@adityaputramusic]

Very cool deconstruction. This vid has helped me out a lot, thanks! :)

[@redmed10]

The guitar is so subtle you really have to struggle to hear it but it makes you appreciate it more.

[@MusicIsAVerb]

Right?!

[@redmed10]

Here's perhaps what the song would sound like if guitars were more upfront in the mix. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5DGoIh5mNiofNE

[@bean3697]

Idk a thing about music theory but this is fascinating i like how you explain everything

[@Viper-dz2kw]

I was really the most impressed with the demonstration of how to use octave harmonies as more of a frequency boosting technique rather then a traditional harmony, really interesting

[@lovepanic2738]

I love this. You should do this to the version she did for the Time 100 Next stream. It’s just Dua, two backup singers a guitarist and on bass Nicole Row who is the bassist for Panic! At the Disco since 2018. It’s such a great version and you can really see Nicole and the guitarist play.

[@misguided_ghost]

this was AMAZING

[@DodaGarcia]

Re: 9:18 about how nobody sat to plan out that static melody over changing chords, definitely true in most cases since once you write a certain number of songs those tools become second nature. But there's definitely also a school of thought in modern pop music where this stuff is crafted very intentionally, almost like a mathematical equation or a puzzle, Max Martin likely being the best example of this. He's described a number of times the deliberate ways in which he creates contrast between different sections and introduces elements over the course of the song. Another great example is Britney Spears' "Toxic", which on the surface just feels like a really catchy pop tune but has an insane number of things going on underneath. You've probably seen them but in case you haven't, Vox has a fantastic video about the disparate sources the song borrows from, ranging from Bollywood to surf music, and 12tone has a great one too detailing the music theory aspects of how those sources intertwine to create the final result. It's the kind of thing that wouldn't happen by accident, but then again, obviously "Toxic" is one of the most iconic pop songs in history so that degree of intentionality is likely to always remain the exception rather than the rule.

[@hamidsohrabi9170]

amazing video👏🏻👏🏻

[@Nick_Reinhardt]

The structure is pretty cool too. There's a very distinct pre-chorus, then chorus, and then a second, different chorus. 00 - 10 Intro 11 - 27 Verse 28 - 36 Pre- Chorus "you want me" 37 - 55 Chorus "I got you, moonlight" 56 - 60 Post Chorus 100 - 118 Verse 119 - 128 Pre Chorus "you want me" 129 - 146 Chorus "I got you, moonlight" 147 - 205 Chorus-Chorus "You can fly away with me tonight" 206 - 224 Bridge 225 - 232 low Pre - Chorus "You want me" 233 - 242 Stripped Chorus "I got you, moonlight" 243 - 300 Chorus-Chorus "you can fly away with me tonight" 301 - end Chorus "I got you, Moonlight"

[@TheChiversBeatCompany]

hey man just discovering you! Such a great musical analysis. Congrats and got a new follower. 🔥

[@markriffey8899]

this is some mad scientist shit that is way over my head but I love it.

[@tingtinggao1413]

great tutorial! more videos like this please!

[@miguelord77]

man, this is a great video! i want to become a music producer and this helped me a lot! thank you!

[@kimhebert9905]

Outstanding 👍🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@a5dr3]

This song is a masterpiece. Incredible craftsmanship.

[@seanjulian2071]

Incredible copying lol

[@a5dr3]

@@seanjulian2071 what song is it?

[@seanjulian2071]

@@a5dr3 live your life by artikal sound system

[@jaysjams1517]

Killer bass line. I plan on learning it.

[@nelsonmaita3965]

Thank You for this video, man.

[@joseurias4045]

You are awesome man!!!! I learned a lot in this video, you deserve more subscribers.

[@MusicIsAVerb]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it! I'm glad it was able to help. Do you write or produce?

[@joseurias4045]

@@MusicIsAVerb I am just a guitarist who is learning some production.

[@coper3883]

Sick channel man. Keep up !!

[@mitchbakarich]

Stellar videos and productions! I love the way you break down these productions without getting too technical, but I learn something new each video. As someone getting into production, I'd love to hear more about how you make your mixes sound so professional. I'd also definitely be interested in a Tame Impala breakdown at some point, and I think the Kevin's work on InnerSpeaker might have more guitar parts for you to play along with : )

[@MusicIsAVerb]

I love the ideas! (Both of them- mix-talk along with the Tame Impala stuff) You're not the first to mention them and I would love to do some videos on their stuff. What kind of stuff do you produce?

[@mitchbakarich]

@@MusicIsAVerb I guess I use "produce" a little heavily, but I make short acoustic covers that I'd like to refine my audio mixing for! They started off as video editing practice but I keep finding myself wanting to improve the audio

[@kamranhussain3923]

Sheer hard work done!

[@danieloyarzunmadrid]

Excelente!

[@joralduncin]

I love you man!!!!Regards from Mexico City

[@alexdavies7112]

Very cool video!

[@misslekkerpuh]

This video was so useful and interesting for me as a music student. Thanks for this! :) Would love an analysis video like this from you about "I Know the End" by Phoebe Bridgers, which to me is probably one of the best songs of 2020. So many things to explore on that one.

[@MusicIsAVerb]

Great suggestion! I'm so glad this was helpful. I've had a few people recommend Phoebe Bridgers to me so I'm definitely going to check it out!

[@42blackwhite]

Great video I learned a lot

[@marcoferrara3212]

Awesome analyis man!

[@MusicIsAVerb]

Thank you so much! I hope it was helpful!

[@pmacaleavey]

Thank you so much Kylie. Incredibly helpful for a budding guitarist like me. Thank you so much.

[@aungeletjones1708]

Omg I totally loved that. I've studied music production and want a home studio. It's just taking so long. I need help in assistant with equipment. Keep up the good work.

[@kimhebert9905]

#1 track… Nice breakdown 👍

[@realhamshari]

Great tips

[@marshaoliver3248]

Hi Mr. Ryan!! You are the best!!!

[@homayunelyasi5562]

It was very useful Thank you

[@KaraokePubmain]

indeed the song was very well put together. It attracted my attention a lot lately. probably the arranger is very well locked up in the studio that he did the best out of it.

[@cbswag9884]

so much information sir .learnt a lot sir. thank u so much sir