Why more pop songs should end with a fade out

The fade out is underrated. It should come back.
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The fade out in music is one of those necessary tools in a record producers arsenal. But if you listen to today's hits it's much more likely you'll hear a song that has a hard abrupt electronic ending. Bill Weir, wrote a great piece at Slate a few years ago tracking the rise and fall of the fade out in pop music: from one of the very first fade outs created by a literal wooden door to the epic 4 minute fade out of "Hey Jude." In the video above he brings me through that sonic journey.
Here's the Slate article for reference: www.slate.com/articles/arts/mu...
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[@Vox]

Love fake-out fade outs like the one in Strawberry Fields Forever? Here are 25 more: open.spotify.com/user/joeposner/playlist/3Sm4iaifHeN1UQrWYWUIiy -joe

[@elreydelvideo]

Vox *Ok this is too scientific for what I like about the fade out, but in my opinion is good cuz I don't like an abrupt ending, then jump to the other song, is like watching a movie like I don't know Transformers and the movie ending just right the second the big climatic epic moment finish, you don't have a resolution or a way to calm down that hype, and for me that doesn't work, even if your like it or don't, I mostly hear songs where the fade out it's with the music*

[@messer12]

but it can be done badly.

[@CatskillOne]

Aaron Mijail Herrera Castro Exactly

[@7klickteers965]

Vox I

[@animex3183]

vox you have no taste in muisic like vice. pls dont do muisic.

[@llamamall3653]

this video should have faded out instead of ending

[@alquinn8576]

Voxonians take themselves way too seriously to ever make a joke like that

[@MrKylederp]

Yo, dat durk durk dude got arrested for sex trafficking.

[@sweetsugarhoneycandy5458]

😂😂

[@SebasGS]

Tunak tunak tun

[@doomslayer_ch4280]

Kyle Ganger what?

[@bemo9]

Producer: "Yo rhi how do I end it?" Rhianna: " Just fade it or something" Producer: "Oh aight" Vox:

[@katakisLives]

Songs don't always need a fade out but certain songs are better because they have one! the way a lot of songs are constructed these days doesn't lend itself to the fade out, it all depends on the song as to whether you use a fade out.

[@mishanya9495]

Ah yes, Rhianna

[@svatto4690]

whenever I get sick of a song in middle of it I turn the volume down slowly like it's fading out and play the next song

[@chinochimp]

I know I do that too! I feel disrespectful to the artist just to cut their song short

[@lucassoares6972]

lmaooooooooo omg thats gold!

[@calciumfree9626]

Genius

[@pranavchoori99]

BlackPlayer does it automatically!!

[@Estebanmdp100]

I only do this when other people are listening

[@g_manitie1138]

"this is the wrong opinion" hmmm not sure thats how that works Edit: im not trying to be rude pr anything i just found the wording funny if you take it litteraly

[@elizabethfalconer682]

G_Manitie that’s how Vox works lmao

[@TeamDestiney]

@Msha Maxwell it's still an opinion lol doesn't make it wrong makes it uneducated

[@joshuamclaughlin9257]

G_Manitie u made me fkn laugh hard

[@chilko8244]

agreed

[@VPS_Reports]

Did you hear the next sentence? It's wrong because it was based on lack of information, when she had the information her opinion was different, that's why it was wrong. you need to listen to what people say instead of sensationalizing and obsessing over a single phrases that trigger you 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@SeeSeeSound]

"It's the wrong opinion" Well, that's your opinion.

[@maxdondada]

here here Canyentay

[@SeeSeeSound]

Holy crap thanks for the likes everyone

[@brianmancilla77]

Yeah but thats the wrong ome

[@ramseybrown3233]

Yeah exactly

[@mars2101]

Yeah!

[@jackdog5639]

I prefer songs to end with a transition to the next track on the album, whether it be a sonic transition or a skit that sets the tone of the next track. But pop songs aren't really made for albums so it's all good.

[@xylophone897]

See also: deadmau5

[@Isaac-rg6gu]

like on bryson tillers trap soul album the first two songs just fade into each other it's awesome

[@garretmontgomery186]

,

[@mustafaali-wp2nu]

To pimp a butterfly

[@_helmi]

Meteora by Linkin Park

[@glennpagemusic]

Everyone I know hates the fade out. I LOVE the fade out. You guys pretty much touched on why I love it so much here. When used effectively, it feels like the band is just playing off into infinity, like in a dream. Like they're going off into the sunset, and the magic continues, while you're left on the mortal plane. And it's even better when it sounds like they're REALLY getting into it just as the song vanishes into the ether. The whole effect works best on songs that have a "dreamy", "otherworldly" effect, but it can work well on lots of other songs as well. Love the fade out, and I always will.

[@zvonimirflorijancic5086]

When i was a kid i thought if my mom turned volume up on the radio during fade up that song will continue playing

[@gator_productions]

I thoght they were cutting off the song

[@lirx0036]

Same 😂

[@tanner4214]

Fade outs fit some songs best, hard stops fit others best. It's still relative to the particular song.

[@Xantheinee]

I disagree! "Somebody that I used to know" has a really satisfying ending. I'm glad we're moving away from fades being everywhere, but the occasional fade out wouldn't do any harm

[@jvans93]

Yeah that song had a perfect ending. A fade out would have made it bad, in my (apparently wrong) opinion

[@MichaelWSpohn]

+Jess icaa I think so too. It's about a break-up. He makes his point, she answers, another chorus follows, and the abrupt ending is the only legitimate ending for this song. :-)

[@OHHnoYOUdidntMAN]

choruses fading out can be really cheesy. like the 80s.

[@Matt-zl4nr]

Jess icaa I was thinking this the whole time.

[@flowerpunk5255]

Jess icaa I hated the ending but I guess it's all subjective. She did actually put in the bottom right corner that this was her subjective opinion anyway

[@MaryArts]

My dad always says: "Fade out songs are just a way to cover up that the artist didn't know an ending to the song." To some songs it fits but with the first example "rihanna" you can see that it mostly doesn't fit and is made uncreatively. Also for me it sometimes kills the vibe of the songs. I feel like, okay it ends soon, waiting for the next song. The fade out is a waiting process.

[@trinityj134]

MaryArts this is very random but i like indie pop songs to have fade out but when mainstream pop does this is sounds random and might not always flow at end

[@synthmalicious7541]

“Made uncreatively”

[@synthmalicious7541]

Also I think the fade out on work fits perfectly, it sounds awful when it resolves

[@pleaseenteraname6825]

As a producer, I can say that your dad is correct.

[@pablozambrano16]

That whole rihanna song is uncreative. I like a lot of her songs but that one is awful

[@TheRisingIcarus]

Somebody That I Used To Know has a perfect ending. Abrupt, like the ending of the relationship

[@comradesXcosmos]

@Sam no, thats an arbirtray statistic that has no correlation to how memorable or impactful a song is. the tap-along statistic simply shows that without closure we dont know when to close. big surprise there.

[@Sofi-kf9oz]

@@comradesXcosmos The comment was sarcastic LOL. Obviously what's important is the story being told not when you stop tapping your foot, VOX reached really hard when they used that to prove their point.

[@futrey9353]

would you like something to end abrutly like this song ,no you d

[@comradesXcosmos]

@@futrey9353 R Soraya is saying that the song ends without trailing on. it still has the equivalent of punctuation. it would be the difference between the sentance "he spoke at lenght on and on and on and on and on and on..." versus "he spoke at length". "abrupt" in this sense does not mean that a sentance isnt complete, just like the final measure in the song is complete.

[@futrey9353]

@@comradesXcosmos i know but for me it feel like it is

[@gabinguss]

why did I just watch a 7 minute video about songs fading out

[@dog-ez2nu]

because it's interesting.

[@mmmaxxx__]

Literally every vox video ever

[@fetB]

cause youre not afraid to learn?

[@dynamite245]

Cause why not lol

[@jon-kg9dk]

GabeGames Welcome to Vox, where you become interested in things you never cared about

[@ClideGeardenaweseomeness]

I don't understand the issue with the hard stops? Surely both forms are tools that are important

[@kozhikkaalan]

Exactly. I think the video was good but they should have slightly altered their language to make it less about one form being right.

[@katakisLives]

I think the point of the video is that the fade out has been pretty much consigned to the dustbin of history and there are certain songs that would have sounded much better with a fade out! not necessarily all songs but the fade out should still be used on occasion

[@thc4825]

vox will probably make a 10 minute video on the "Science of The Hard Stop"

[@charliemanner1914]

Clide Gearden Yeah, I sent my song in for mastering and it came back with a case out. Sent it back and asked for it to be how I intended. Made me seen like *I* was craY.

[@Kite037]

Yeah... One of their examples of a bad hard stop bugged me. They criticized Somebody That I Used to Know's ending in this video but the ending actually works really well in the flow of the album. Just seemed like they wanted to push the fade out without considering the benefits of a hard stop.

[@vovan7349]

I guess, it depends on the song, but for me an abrupt and energic ending is usually more pleasing... Also, when a songs fades out, you get a strange feeling of not knowing if it is actually going to end or not. And there can't be "wrong" or "right" opinions in this case, relax

[@SuperBrictson]

I still hate the fade out, even if it's pop music.

[@joaquinlezcano2372]

I agree. The abrupt ending however should work well with the band. In "explosive" rock/metal like Rage against the machine and System of a down, it works

[@Luke-ft5ow]

I accept any instrumental fade out but not repetition of the chorus slowly getting quieter because that should be illegal.

[@DonnieTheGuy]

rickroll does that lol

[@elirosales9572]

@@DonnieTheGuy He gave up

[@nintySW]

I agree, but even that can work sometimes, but only in certain situations where you want to create a feeling of repetition, something lasting forever.

[@TheKristina1978]

@@nintySW like hey jude

[@HadleyUnited]

You've shown me that the fade out does cool things but have failed to convince me that they're necessary for songs that don't already have them. This is categorically subjective.

[@charnaeyoung9815]

Abin Joes You should listen to some Stevie Wonder songs. He never stops singing as he fades. But at some point, his genius ad-libs must come to an end. L0l

[@HadleyUnited]

charnae young I love Stevie Wonder! The point that I was making is that songs that don't have face outs aren't necessarily made better by adding it, as some people just don't care

[@SmokinKlocks]

Abin Joes It’s really all opinionated supported by some fact. And because, compared to the hard endings, could’ve sounded nicer.

[@HadleyUnited]

Agreed

[@stephc7365]

Same. Fade-outs seem cheesy and artificial to me.

[@LilBoyHexley]

I still don't care much for fade-outs. I can appreciate when they kind of allow the song to slowly break down through an outro (i.e. removing vocals, slowly dropping melodic elements etc.), but almost always by the time a song reaches the fade-out I'll just end up changing the song or starting the song over, that is, if I'm actually paying attention to the song. Even if I'm listening to a song on repeat I'll usually think to myself "I wish there was some way to remove this fade-out so I didn't have to manually skip it each time the song is over". It can sometimes even be obnoxious because it's being presumptuous in assuming that I *want* to hear the hook that much, even if the song is good otherwise (depending on how long the fade-out is). Though I can see how in the case of crafting popular music, fade-outs can have a psychological effect causing the song or tune to be more ingrained into a persons mind. But I find this seems like more of a meta-musical "tactic" than something that actually makes a song *better*. Kind of like how the discipline of writing "catchy" hooks is somewhat separate from the field of good songwriting as a whole. Even in the "good" examples they give for potential fade-out candidates (Somebody That I Used to Know and That's What I Like, two songs that I like) fade-outs would have almost certainly detracted from my enjoyment. Gotye's ending is a pleasant punctuation, and Bruno's is satisfying with its ad-libs. Fade-outs would have had them overstaying their welcome rather than having me wanting to start the song over again.

[@desolation0]

The example meta-musical "tactic" I like to use is volume maximization taken too far. Having the music be louder apparently helps sales. There's an upper limit you hit though, and just raising the bottom of the scale compresses the volume dynamic into mush. Metallica was probably the most well known recent example of it being taken too far. They gave their Death Magnetic album the full 11 on the volume knob and ended up getting distorted digitally, meanwhile the Guitar Hero 3 dlc version had the full dynamic range and was apparently preferred by fans.

[@skepticmoderate5790]

Exactly. Leave cross-fade to the mp3-player.

[@astralhaze8936]

What sounds better than both fading out and a sudden ending is actually making an end part

[@SuperBrictson]

That's the composer task!!!

[@captain.s1918]

how about reverb fade out endings?

[@TheGalaxyWings]

I like songs that trick the listener with a fade out before picking back up

[@experi-mentalproductions5358]

@@TheGalaxyWings The Beatles' 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Helter Skelter' both do that.

[@TheGalaxyWings]

@@experi-mentalproductions5358 when I wrote that I was thinking of foc by rodrigo and gabriella

[@After4th]

It makes songs feel like they're cut short and added fillers with repeated lyrics and tune. Feels inorganic

[@gahllib]

The ending on Gotye's "Used to know" isn't a pasted on tom- the beat drops out on an unresolved melodic line, which is a literal expression of the metaphorical idea of having somebody with whom you have a history suddenly become past tense-"somebody that I used to know." It's not only a thoughtful ending, but a better one for that song than a fade out would have been.

[@DanielHoffmanddhoffman]

But your opinion is wrong.

[@TungstenViper]

Vox says that your opinion is wrong. Us, sheeps, will say that you're wrong, even though what you just said is actually 100% correct and in theme with the song.

[@knightwing5169]

But they didn't have to cut us off!!

[@terrywho22]

Maybe they should have gone to BERKELEY instead of BERKLEE for an informed opinion.

[@MA-eb2kz]

Gahl Liberzon Oh, yeah. You're right! How insightful 😊.....

[@ethanstiles1631]

0:37 Wrong Opinion..............

[@EmileFeik]

WRONG OPINION

[@bee7747]

DING DONG YOUR OPINION IS WRONG

[@thc4825]

S O N I C A D V E N T U R E

[@imabeapirate]

Neptune still is the farthest known planet in the solar system

[@permafrost0979]

Neptune is *again* the farthest known planet in our solar system. For a while it was Pluto.

[@-BigTMoney-]

"@@permafrost0979 The IAU F'ed up it's definition bad, and they have admitted to it and plane to change it in the future "First, it recognizes as planets only those objects orbiting our Sun, not those orbiting other stars or orbiting freely in the galaxy as 'rogue planets' Second, the fact that it requires zone-clearing means "no planet in our Solar System" can satisfy the criteria, since a number of small cosmic bodies are constantly flying through planetary orbits - including Earth's. Finally, and "most severely", they say, this zone-clearing stipulation means the mathematics used to confirm if a cosmic body is actually a planet must be distance-dependent, because a "zone" must be clarified. This would require progressively larger objects in each successive zone, and "even an Earth-sized object in the Kuiper Belt would not clear its zone".“dwarf planet” How can an adjective in front of a noun not describe the noun?There are dwarf stars but they’re still considered stars. Fun fact every single planetary scientists at the IAU vote to keep Pluto a planet, it was astrophysicist, astronomer and other that voted against it. The field of science that specialist in Planets did't get to define there ow field...asking an astronomer, who studies a wide variety of celestial objects and cosmic phenomena, rather than a planetary scientist, who focuses solely on planets, moons, and planetary systems, for the definition of a planet is like going to a podiatrist for brain surgery "A planet is a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion and that has sufficient self-gravitation to assume a spheroidal shape adequately described by a triaxial ellipsoid regardless of its orbital parameters." makes more sense

[@SpecimenKE]

Yeah, Pluto is a dwarf planet

[@TheChadPad]

too soon

[@patbak235]

@@-BigTMoney- that last sentence would mean our moon, many other moons, ceres and e few other asteroids, etc are all also planets. are you sure you speak for the community in this?

[@aaronrivera6732]

Lorde’s album Melodrama has some fantastic fade outs. ‘The Louvre’ ‘Hard Feelings/Loveless’ ‘Sober ll’ ‘Supercut’

[@nikolovski_exe]

I love that album, but I feel like the fade in "Supercut" is a bit too long

[@winnd44]

@@nikolovski_exe I actually love it. It’s the long, painful death of the relationship she is conveying in the album

[@jennifersun2638]

masterpiece

[@coolgirlzinuwu1615]

SUPERCUT

[@TheSteady]

I think the fade out isn't likely to return because of live performance. I've grown up as a performer in various forms of dance, this was quite a few years and pounds ago, but a fade out makes for an awkward conclusion to a performance.

[@IScreamedWolf]

The Steady that’s my biggest issue too. I had 1 fade out on my last project and it just makes for awkwardness on stage

[@michaeltowler2632]

You're not wrong there. You can see how awkward it is when on TV and it being mimed, as the song ends everyone looks at each other and acts embarrassed

[@TheChadPad]

@@michaeltowler2632 I'm writing some music with fade-outs, and I just plan to make up a cold ending for em to play live

[@Jinaria101]

I think if your song was made to fade out and your using it for a live performance then you should arrange an alternative version of the song with a cold ending that’s specially used for live performances Selena pulled this off very well with her song Bidi bidi bom bom

[@bethmoth22]

Just dim the lights, everyone cheers then everyone goes home

[@nahnope8581]

Well thats just like... Your opinion man

[@kooliooolio]

DID YOU ASSUME HIS/HER/THEIR/ITS GENDER????????

[@nexusxe]

Okay Ajit Pai

[@tralphstreet]

WRONG OPINION

[@Capn03]

Nah nope, I found that really offensive

[@devni428]

please calm down lmao

[@DEPRESHN]

Me: idk if it is only me but imo songs shouldnt end by fading out Vox: *WRONG*

[@crescentcab8365]

Well, I will tell you. Indeed it is not.

[@68404]

I have always hated 'repeat until fade' Still do

[@itsmepotatogrande9335]

Yah same. It does not sit right with me

[@markfnorm]

Yeah, well, thats just, like, your opinion, man.

[@user-ee5gb4uj4d]

A Walking Taco but its wrong.

[@2012summr]

*W r o n g O p i n i o n*

[@theviniso]

The Dude is right.

[@rustamm3587]

There is no right opinion that would be a fact lol

[@Psythik]

This video is opinionated bullshit. Every song they mentioned at the end sounds great without fadeouts, despite what they think. As a DJ, one of the most annoying thing to deal with is a song that fades out rather than having a defined ending. DJs often loop the ending of a song so that it flows better with the song we're going to play next, but it's WAY harder to pull off this technique with a song that fades out. What happens is that you end up with a song that gradually gets quieter, then suddenly loud again when we loop the outro. It's a nightmare to deal with when you're a DJ trying to blend two songs together seamlessly. Fadeouts should remain in the 80s where they belong.

[@Patritz]

it works with some songs, doesn't with others. Get over it.

[@avery5271]

hot take

[@bradleachphoto]

Makes video about why fade outs are the best Ends video abruptly

[@Mickelraven]

_"It turns out this is the _*_wrong_*_ opinion"_ That's not how opinion works! Opinion is never right or wrong. It's subjective!

[@beflygelt]

WRONG OPINION

[@RafidW9]

beflygelt exactly.

[@williammidwood]

Ding dong your opinion is wrong

[@samguy7654]

beflygelt ikr? 😂😂

[@skepticmoderate5790]

Vox in a nutshell.

[@brennanschrader3608]

Wooweee 1984

[@elirutter3075]

Personally, I think the ending on Somebody I Used to Know is perfect.

[@stefansproductions6245]

That moment when you question vox's producers understanding of an opinion 0:38

[@Name-ul8es]

E

[@Porbei]

It’s only really the writers opinion

[@navypinkdesign]

I think people are forgetting that this is a first person narrative. Saying "that was the wrong opinion" is anecdotal and refers to her statement: "I used to hate the fadeout. It felt like a cop-out, a lack of creativity, a boring anti-ending." The rest of the video is about proving that her opinion was wrong, that fade-outs are sometimes intentional and better for the song. This is a moment when you realize people will always remove things out of context to make their point gospel.

[@MrAlanPollo]

@@navypinkdesign Thing is tho.. There are NO wrong opinions, there are just different opinions. Saying wrong opinion is like saying dehydrated water, it's just not possible. There can be wrong definitions, wrong theories, wrong actions, but not wrong opinions. Her opinion just like any other person's wasn't wrong, it was just different. Her *understanding* of the concept and complexity of the "fade out" was incomplete and you could call that wrong, perhaps, but not the opinion.

[@navypinkdesign]

@@MrAlanPollo i get where you’re coming from, but I disagree with people dictating how she should phrase her own essay. I’m arguing for the colloquial use of “wrong opinion.” You appear to be arguing semantics. We’ll only go in circles.

[@jayparks6266]

as a kid in the 80s, finding out how all this works now is very interesting and appreciate the insight on how it’s still relevant in how today’s music is produced. Really enjoying this series!!

[@SwopCovers]

This is bullshit because my barber knows how to lay some fresh fades and he's never been on the top music charts.

[@Peridium]

swopneelfly 😂😂😂😂

[@rydemk4168]

Hahaha

[@mralternator3859]

Does your barber have a Soundcloud?

[@stevenflores7405]

swopneelfly Where can I get his mixtape?

[@geloelcubano95]

Goat comment right here

[@sylviacatface]

"This is the wrong opinion."

[@krookyj]

Some alt-right idiot is going to make a joke about "THAT'S VOX FOR U AMIRITE XD WHEN U TROLL A LIBTARD☜😎☜ EPIC STYLE☞😎☞" I just know it.

[@austinshearmen9210]

ThatCockyBooma Reddit in a nutshell.

[@kooliooolio]

Vox is full of libtards tho

[@krookyj]

Koolio Oolio ☜😎☜ WHEN U TROLL A LIBTARD ☞😎☞ EPIC STYLE

[@LevskiBADBOY]

Vox is for failures.

[@ninjasonmylawn25]

How can I trust you folks to get musical engineering concepts correct when you haven't mastered the concept of "opinions"?

[@ablurida]

I really like the ending of Somebody that I used to know... it's a song about resentment, and I like that there's an ending to that feeling lol. That's what I like would be ok either way to me. But I agree that Work sounds terrible without a fade out haha. Basically 'the wrong opinion' would be to have too much of something, to choose one over the other, but it really depends on the song and on who is listening to it. I like to sing along so when it ends with a fade out it can be weird sometimes.

[@EricFullertonMUSIC]

I rather like songs with an absolute ending. The song feels complete. I appreciate the commentary about fading out, but perhaps you looked into it too much. I don't believe there is a science to it. It's all up to the mixing engineer and copying what other artists do. If it works for them, then it'll work for us. That's the mentality of pop music. Great video though.

[@LuisCasstle]

When it was stated that there was a science to it I chuckled. I get the part of how frequencies fade differently, but how the song fades is determined by what sound you want not just that instruments appear to fade equally.

[@nickdumont9891]

And your dumb

[@VoyageOne1]

I dislike total fade outs especially in instances when the song is starting to get interesting. My favourite method is to fade the drums and bass but keep the melodic chords going for four bars before finishing on the root note

[@ChromeTecNina]

Rock and metal has some really screwed up fade-outs. One of my favorite guitar solos of all time is the second guitar solo in Metallica jump in the fire as soon as it starts getting ridiculously sick it starts fading out. Like I know they only did that cuz Kirk Hammett probably screwed up or something like I get why they did it but it still seems pretty lame

[@jimmymyers]

I hate it when they're singing something different and you can't hear where it ends up going because of the fade out

[@flippy4951]

A forest lmao there you here the bassline

[@Will_of_D_ssert]

thisss

[@Qwerty-lq2op]

Do you mean songs like Chained to the Rhythm?

[@Testiculon]

The wrong opinion..? Just because you can explain something by every detail doesn't give you the right to say people have the "wrong opinion" because they dislike it. Especially when you're talking about art!

[@sayven]

And espacially when the only reason is "its complicated and youre tapping your feet 2.8 seconds longer"

[@elllieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

r/wooosh

[@alexd0617]

For those who work as DJs at parties, fade outs help an awful lot when you're transitioning from one tune to another. The only challenge is matching up the beat from the former and gradually mixing into the latter.

[@alechiavassa]

I still dislike fading out

[@xtrashocking]

*wrong opinion*

[@jakethecarsandreactorvideo9409]

Me too

[@livvy94]

>A whole new sonic adventure for them Aw yeah, this is happening!

[@SuperKeyifier]

A whole new sonic adventure Sonic adventure 3 confirmed

[@Crispman_777]

Rolling around at the speed of sound, Got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow!

[@supahstarclod]

after 16 whole years, it's finally here

[@heheheiamasupahstarweeb]

nice to see you guys here

[@FloppyDisk893]

*Going around at the speed of sound* *Got places to be gotta follow my rainbow!*

[@rasenganpimp]

Lol just 'cause a song has a true written in ending doesn't make the ending bad. Some fade outs ARE cop outs, just because there is a technique behind the fade doesn't magically make it a good option that should always be used

[@rhodes_the_kitty]

I thought the same thing. Pretty much any musical practice has a technique and a subtlety that most people aren't aware of. Why the hell does vox act like the fade out is special???

[@marsupialmole3926]

The fade out is a symptom of a pop music industry that favors repeating resolution over delayed gratification It works, but it's like scratching an itch, in that it only really serves to perpetuate an annoyance

[@highland_persuasion]

Nope. More often than not, that isn't the case.

[@nicops379]

I have not played the video yet, just read the title, and I've already spam the like button a million TIMES! This is what the world NEEDS!

[@einarssone]

I love the way Tame Impala's "Keep on Lying" uses fades. There is a line that goes "I guess I'll go and tell you, just as soon as I get to the end of this song", but then the song ends on a fade out so there isn't really an "end" to the song and so he never has to go and tell her. Adding to that effect, the song also starts with a fade in, so there is no real beginning to the song either. There's a sort of implied never ending cycle where the song keeps on playing forever without beginning or end, mirroring how the lyrics describe the way Kevin "keeps on lying" in a similar way.

[@florencem3397]

einarssone Beautiful interpretation. I have never seen it that way

[@MissGracelovesu]

That's pretty cool

[@fanfictionedits8273]

I've always loved that song. You explained it so well.

[@DecimusYna]

I haven't heard the song, but I'm gonna listen to it.

[@bartdevries8531]

Great comment, and you're right. Great use of fade out. Your comment made me relisten the song and I actually found a video that proves your point: here's a 1 hour version of the song where beginning and end are mixed together to form a neverending song..kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH3GamNjZ5tljM0

[@PocketSquidward]

"This is the wrong opinion" - Vox 2017

[@TimNurTV]

Pocket Squidward sounding a bit like buzzfeed there

[@jmandoeskarate4456]

In “Innuendo” from Queen, it had a fadeout before the flamenco part, and it adds a lot of excitement to what happens. It sounds like it’ll finish, but then it just continues.

[@alexd0617]

I think the same thing happens with "Do You Love Me" (an old 50's dance tune). There's a fade out as you get toward the end but then it abruptly comes back and does the true fade out later.

[@firenationfiles2063]

What if you do not like the "Work" song?

[@MichaelGallagher97]

Congratulations, you have taste

[@KaptenKetchup]

Yeah what about it?

[@mubinkazmi6812]

DING DONG YOUR OPINION IS WRONG

[@47tune24]

lmao

[@noahshomeforstrangeandeduc4431]

Mubin Kazmi lol

[@Soulzzzzz]

yea, well, that's just like, your opinion man...

[@Lauren-uv8nc]

HIPPITY HOPPITY YOUR THOUGHTS ARE OUR PROPERTY😂

[@crescentcab8365]

I STRONGLY concur.

[@maxg971]

0:38 "wrong opinion" wtf?

[@pokemaster12131]

Oh my god, did she just- did she just assume the validity of that opinion?!?! I like can't even, I cannot right now!

[@MarcAntoineBvl]

Kommentator-T3rminator I got shocked instantly lmao

[@Mike-ry9ir]

In my opinion, the sun should be about 300 percent farther from Earth for life to flourish. Not only is my opinion irrelevant, it is wrong.

[@mokeymok958]

Kommentator-T3rminator right? You cannot have a wrong opinion

[@cristian-si1gb]

Opinions can be wrong.

[@jihyungshideout]

I lowkey *LOVE* Work with an abrupt ending.

[@fernandoangon1129]

Can’t Get You Out Of My Head one of the best songs (and ear worms) with a fade out, it feels like you’re in a trance right up until it perfectly fades on one last “lalala” and you could have it on repeat. You truly can’t get it out of your head, thank you Kylie ♥️💋.

[@nicovank]

The wrong opinion lol. That's not something you say

[@28tamales]

Nicolas Van Kempen That's a wrong opinion, because saying "that is not something you say" is your opinion but you could say that and they did. So technically it is something you say, and claiming something as the "wrong opinion" is their opinion. I'm High.

[@raizensamson6723]

"that's not how you should have worded it, as it makes it sound like what your presenting isn't based off of fact and science." Still kinda sounds like my opinion but I think this makes it sound less opinion based. Hmmm.

[@keenannaugle9714]

I think that statement alone is indicative of Vox's entire journalistic style.

[@ezakustam]

Nicolas Van Kempen It's my opinion that you're actually the character in your avatar. Opinions CAN be wrong.

[@Rushil69420]

She's calling it the 'wrong' opinion to point out that it is, in fact, just an opinion. It's a preference for the fade out- and a preference can't be more or less correct than a competing one. It's tongue-in-cheek, take it easy.

[@OHHnoYOUdidntMAN]

Fade-outs don't work for all songs. Sometimes silence/black noise sounds nice after a song. It just depends on the song. It can be really cheesy having a fadeout. Do what FEELS right to you!

[@TimTkachyk]

This is a fantastic series. I’m really enjoying every episode I come across.

[@Tyletoful]

I've just now been diving into this video producer's videos and my mind is blow. Keep it up!

[@jemcrew15]

I think Katy perry's pop songs should fade out. As in not flood my recommendations.

[@UnknownUser314159]

Jem crew LMAO

[@jutco]

Jem crew HAAAAHA

[@melloisonline]

Jem crew they should fade out Of existence

[@SeeSeeSound]

Now THAT is the RIGHT opinion!

[@nathanradford9846]

They should fade out as soon as they start

[@Nonchalant1996]

Wait wtf. You completely lost me when you started naming the songs that "could have sounded better with a fade out". You didn't provide any actual reasoning for why, it's a completely subjective argument. Like I for one love the way the xylophones sound during the hard ending to Somebody That I Used To Know, idg how fading out could have improved that song in any way

[@Nonchalant1996]

Come to think of it this is probably the weakest vox video in a while, and I usually love your music episodes too. It felt like the girl kinda just wanted to talk about how cool fade outs are but to spice things up a bit she decided to take an unnecessary hard stance on a non-issue. Also lmao @ "wrong opinion"

[@triplepeanut]

Yes

[@Christopher-oi9jo]

It's Called an opinion

[@Christian-gj4uw]

Chris Onivas they said "wrong opinion"

[@TallicaMan1986]

Christian Opinions can be wrong. Especially ones that are based purely on emotion and not observations.

[@facundogutierrez3928]

estelle you are videos are so on point! you and your team create really amazing content! i wish more videos are coming on the way

[@KnowleDJ]

fascinating. I love your research and depth you put into these!

[@ThisIsTeeKay]

Fade outs give me more time to lament the ending of a song I'm enjoying. Also, it creates a disconnect between the recorded single and the live performances, which I'm not the biggest fan of. Karaoke can also suffer from fade outs, as they're not easily reproducible. Incredible video, but I don't agree with the conclusion.

[@Malkav65]

ThisIsTeeKay So true - fadeouts are awful for karaoke. You're either stuck sitting there singing the same damn chorus over and over or you decide to pull the plug on the song, neither of which is remotely satisfying

[@RISBB]

true, and vox have bunch of these great motion graphic design and poor logic/weak conclusion-type of video

[@exoendo]

+ThisIsTeeKay excuse me but that is the _wrong opinion_. didn't you watch the video? it's actually important and great and you should like it or you just don't get it man

[@generalskunk6876]

yeah I don't agree with ending either. The video should have had a fade out

[@OnlyEurekka]

ThisIsTeeKay h

[@ianbecker6077]

I like jazz

[@miniena7774]

Ian Becker SHUT UP.

[@miniena7774]

Greg Caesar That wasn't very nice...

[@miniena7774]

I DOUGHNUT CARE!

[@miniena7774]

Wuewhwuw

[@jonleonmolina9724]

I like jazz too :D

[@burnindownthehouse]

The fade out is one of the best techniques because, like the video said, it makes the listener keep singing the song after it has faded. DJ's who did long mixes always used to fade songs no matter if the songs had hard endings or not because the human ear reacts better to a fade out and than a hard ending. It made the transition sound better from one song to the next for the DJs. Slow fades are the way to go.

[@TheAayize]

another amazing video guys ❤️❤️❤️

[@vickymc9695]

I get that she likes the fade out because of nostalgia, but it's a really annoying thing for any singer. If you do a song live that has a fade, it just falls flat.

[@andeve3]

that's a good point

[@Vokkan]

ANY live performer can tell you that fade-outs are objectively stupid.

[@jooelewis]

Fade-outs in a studio setting is fine and live you can make adjustments. Fades can also advertise the live version since they do not have clear endings so you have flexibility.

[@Aquariusconcealed]

Personally, I think it'd be quite easy to translate a studio fade to live. By just slowing down production and extending the vocal line, you can meet the "ending" of the fade at the appropriate time. The first example I think of is Blue performed by Marina and the Diamonds

[@teammmx]

Well you have to be creative with the arrangement. Just look at Mariah Carey's performance of her song Anytime You Need A Friend

[@ziksy6460]

NA NA NA NANANANA NANANANA HEY JUDE Na Na Na NaNaNaNa NaNaNaNa Hey Jude na na na nananana nananana hey jude

[@InevitableTruth247]

Nice way to end it. Not start it Cough cough* Modern pop Cough*

[@iAmTheSquidThing]

ᴺᴬ ᴺᴬ ᴺᴬ ᴺᴬᴺᴬᴺᴬᴺᴬ ᴺᴬᴺᴬᴺᴬᴺᴬ ᴴᴱʸ ᴶᵁᴰᴱ

[@unfa00]

I hate that fade out! Be gone already!

[@chewy3141]

Just the right amount if "na"s. I like you.

[@nevdo_music]

As a music artist and producer, I am using fade out very often in my songs because it really mostly seems to me as the only option how to end the song. Thanks for the video!

[@jovibaby]

something i’ve noticed for many years now, i love a good fade out!

[@dominiquelilac]

The only time I can really think about a fade out complimenting a song well is Lorde's Melodrama album. Each Fade-Out to almost every song felt necessary for the album's tone, giving a feeling of melancholy. Like her feelings are dragging out forever, like she doesn't want to move on to the next song and metaphorically move on from a heartbreak. So yea I like fade-outs when they're necessary to the music.

[@downwardspiral8501]

I hate the fade-out, but I agree that the whole notion of Lordes' Melodrama needing fade-outs to properly convey the emotional distress that she exudes.

[@creamithmanning2632]

Fade outs are NOT NECESSARY. What's necessary is that an artist composes an ending as opposed to lazily ending with a chorus.

[@richevans3849]

AMEN

[@kylebarry7602]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[@TooCooFoYou]

Thot Patrol Listen to Pet Sounds. The fade outs work so well to transition to the next one.

[@FernieCanto]

Sometimes fade-outs are artistically justified. But very often, they're just done out of laziness or for fashion. Fade-outs were a fad; *that* is why they faded out themselves, as the video pointed out.

[@katakisLives]

What about an instrumental outro? remember those? they invariably need a fade out! brothers in arms would sound silly without its slow fadeout

[@swfreak258]

"That's the wrong opinion" Sure, buddy

[@santiagosenoran1217]

I don't think there is a possible combination of words that can make me like fade outs in songs, it is my biggest pet peeve in music

[@paladinmixer6735]

There are no 'wrong' opinions, just what's popular and what isn't.

[@elllieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

r/wooosh

[@sesseljabs964]

@@elllieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee wot

[@CityOfNashville]

Man I hate it when I have an opinion and then find out that I'm wrong and should realize that because artists used to do it more I should love it

[@maxwellritz3156]

Things like the likeability of music can't be measured objectively.

[@sergeantpickles4202]

Justin calm down man, it's more a piece on 'hey look this thing doesn't happen anymore and it's quite cool' it's not trying to prove anyone wrong. And yes it would be nice to see a few more fade outs, don't get worked up about it though...

[@PanzerMan332]

Man I hate it when someone gets mad for no reason instead of properly watching the video and absorbing the information presented within it.

[@mmmaxxx__]

Maxwell Ritz Not the likeability, the marketability. It's objectively a smarter choice to do fade-outs.

[@Rozenluz]

Opinions can't be wrong

[@unc1589]

I love these videos! History of the fade out is something I never wondered about. I always knew there was a science to the fade. Properly done it begs you to play the record again. The long fade on Marvin Gaye’s “soon I’ll be loving you” revealed that he was saying to “Janis” that he wanted to “Give her some head”. He’d been saying it throughout the vamp but it became clear during the fade.

[@CallMeMicahT]

I love this series, more artists today need to do research

[@CrossfacePanda]

This is a minor nitpick, but I find it funny how you claimed that disliking fade outs is the wrong opinion, then immediately mentioned how there's an art to it (and by extension, how music is art). Because of course, yes, music is art, which also means there is no wrong opinion on it. That's kinda the crux of both art and opinions: they are subjective at their core. I of course also get that the "wrong opinion" line is just meant to be a punchy way to drive the point home about how you changed your mind regarding fade outs. Still find the irony of arguing the subjectivity of art with a supposed "objective truth" to be pretty funny ;).

[@leakedtrailersinc.6734]

Fokin joke m8

[@joyce124]

i think they were saying that tongue-in-cheek m8

[@eve36368]

i actually took offense to that too

[@kaned5543]

Yeah the "wrong opinion" line was very jarring to me, as well. I understand what she was trying to say, but it's such a weird statement that it distracted me momentarily from her message.

[@mo0omo]

Art is not subjective. That would mean that everything is art, and thus nothing is art. It’s an opinion that “faded in” in the 60’s and hopefully will fade out soon, taking a lot of garbage with it:)

[@joaquimg5361]

"It turns out this is the wrong opinion" I loved that.

[@NomNomGirl1]

Joaquim G uniformed would have been must better

[@YoshitakaAmano]

I hate that. it's very close to "wrong think." The quickest way to get banal art, is to tell people the "right way" to make art. If every song had a "fade out," then not having a "fade out" becomes a bold statement.

[@_Only_Zuul]

binge watching all these videos!

[@kilogreene8738]

I LOVE fade outs. The reverb and delays just seem to come alive as the volume declines lol. At least to my ears

[@kojisan1]

In my wrong opinion, fading out only makes sense in the context of Gustav Holst. The 80's, for example, were definitely NOT in that context; it was just a stupid trend and everybody was doing it. In 99% of the cases, a nice ending to a song will be infinitely better than a stupid fade out. I hope it never comes back, honestly.

[@JahnLandrigan]

The three songs are Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay XO TOUR Llif3 by Lil Uzi Vert Mask Off by Future

[@EliHuntofficial]

Overanalyzed but i really admire the drive you have to provide not just music listeners, but also creators, a bit of background info on so many music subjects.

[@davesmith1929]

That was really well-produced and very enlightening :-)

[@Leanardo1221]

1. Lil Uzi Vert - XO TOUR Llif3 2. Future - Mask Off 3. Gucci Mane Featuring Migos - I Get The Bag

[@teddyariyadi2119]

Lev Siluyanov hmmm the similarity are the genre and the singers are black

[@Leanardo1221]

Perhaps next episode is going to be about prevalent use of auto-tune in rap songs

[@FelipeSantos-sh7xe]

Future, Gucci and the Migos are from Atlanta and Lil Uzi is very Atlanta influenced, so maybe it's about that...

[@Ephemeralliberty]

Lev Siluyanov I think the billboard top 40 is just pop songs unless she means the 40/100? I'm trying to find them too. Does rake it up count as a fade out?

[@matthewinman3935]

Lev Siluyanov all 3 are Atlanta based trap rappers, so I would imagine the next episode focuses on the production style of trap

[@gawdspeed]

wrong opinion? contradicting...

[@sirpsychosussy]

"A whole new *sonic adventure* for them" wait are you hiding something

[@Stallagmite]

As a musician, I've loved doing fade outs by performing them rather than creating them in post production, but I still see how the post pro has its merits.

[@saklof296]

Wrong ONION.

[@featheryfemme]

Incorrect Vegetable.

[@juno6332]

*L A Y E R S*

[@alanparker9608]

There's literally nothing more unsatisfying than when a song fades out.

[@SuperBrianMak]

I love fade outs, and I don't think cold endings do songs justice at all. Maybe some songs need the cold ending, while, for others, it wouldn't hurt if they lingered on. As someone who enjoys listening to music alone, fade outs keep my imagination and the energy and emotion of a song going. It brings life to them. For concerts and live performances, the cold ending is practical, but for the sake of soaking up a song some more - its melody, arrangement, lyrics, vocals - or catching things you maybe didn't notice/hear before the fade out is a must. It's sad it's "going out of style," but that says more about the direction music's going as it caters to current listeners' ears. We want something quick, easy, and fast, to go "onto the next."

[@BreannaMae]

Growing up in the 1980s I used to LOVE fade outs as an outro. There was something about it, as though the song would keep on going despite it fading out. And the magic was starting the fade out at the right time. Back in the day when music still had key changes in them and the vocalist would start hitting the sustained high notes, they would start slowly fading the song out. It was just magical. To this day I still love that and I do that in my own music.

[@IanTOHare]

The psychological tapping behavior study was very interesting and I totally understand why (money) driven labels would utilize it. Completely understandable. But to suggest it made songs better just admits that you'd rather have a fake, borderline psychologically manipulative ending than a real one that works in a real live setting. That's just my opinion. Songs have to end. Just be okay with that and move on.

[@MarkShaneHansen]

I think the point is that some songs could be better with a fade-out, but it's not to say that it's the best thing for all songs. Of course whether a song is improved by one is subjective to the listener, but your opinion on it seems very superficial to me.

[@jamescovan3424]

I'll fade out live. Sometimes I write songs that way. I got into music when I became obsessed with old school marley. It really depends on the song. I tend to favor the fade out for songs that have a simpler structure, or if the song is rooted in improvisation... basically, if I'm used to playing a song way past its "shelf life", because the overall vibe is fairly hypnotic, I wind it down to a fade out, because it works better than tacking on a crescendo to a song that doesn't really lend itself to one. Fade out is legit... If a song doesn't really resolve itself, it's actually the most accurate representation of its content. I've even done a quick fade just because a particular take ended in a mistake, and the last chord was inconsequential because it was more or less just a broken down execution of the basic chord progression.

[@corrda1993]

As a performer of 80s music I will say its hard to recreate live, and most bands add hard endings.

[@tinaleonie5811]

I'm loving this show