Willow did it again...

Willow Smith's new song "Big Feelings" is in the odd time signature 7/4 which, along with her previous single "symptom of life", makes two songs in a row in the usually rare 7/4 time signature!

[@Joe_from_Rio]

It's becoming her signature signature.

[@royidvir4648]

Nice

[@MyNameIsNeutron]

It's signature time signature time for her.

[@Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaapj]

I disliked

[@Unchained_202]

But who composes the beats? Because if it’s not the singer.. then you need to mention the producers/composers not just the people who sing on the track

[@classicalteacher]

@@Unchained_202 She had two other musicians write the music for her. I am quite impressed with them.

[@aaronclift]

Going from "Whip My Hair" to prog-tinged jazz pop fusion has got to be one of the most radical artist evolutions I've ever seen.

[@engaranedrick]

whip my hair is a very good song

[@Vegetablefather]

It’s a shame if you missed out on her pop-punk era. 2 albums very excellently executed. I personally am preferring her current sound more but her pop punk is quite excellent

[@Mukduck619]

@@Vegetablefathertotally agree. LIFE album was so darn good

[@muskrat_glomus]

can we stop already with the whip my hair narrative, why do most people fail to mention she was literally 10 (!) years old when that song came out

[@lynnieT]

unfortunately Jojo siwa thinks she deserves that title 💀

[@jackalope901]

Willow’s becoming my favourite Smith. What an artist!

[@CutieWolf-359]

I got confused and read Will Smith lol😂

[@classicalteacher]

My favorite Smith is the Smiths.

[@alexkunce2002]

@@CutieWolf-359 I just realized she's basically named after him, this is weird.

[@thehoodlen]

@@alexkunce2002Willow named after Will, and Jayden named after Jayda

[@gorebunny]

@@alexkunce2002 How is that weird? Kids are named after their parents all the time. At least Will->Willow and Jayda->Jayden is a lot more creative than "[put already boring name here] Jr."

[@AUGM3NT3D]

crazy how natural willow makes the time signature of 7/4 feel with her latest two singles. i mean i suppose it’s not super hard to make it feel natural given how many songs are in 7/4 but it’s still impressive

[@jerodbarbee1821]

Good for her, 7/4 is funky as hell

[@peterstangl8295]

I'm just glad to hear proper actual drums in a mainstream popsong instead of some overused 808 beat

[@rhondadines3287]

She's a Genius. It's called open mindedness. And don't cookie cut her. She will change up on you.

[@classicalteacher]

She didn't write this music. She had other musicians write it and since she is singing, she "co-wrote" them. I really like the music. Her lyrics are childish though.

[@nuke97]

A bit too much credit to her. I respect that she's open to more daring directions. But she is a highly highly produced singer.

[@UXtatic]

Perfect.

[@UXtatic]

​@@classicalteacher Wow....Samples of your work please.

[@classicalteacher]

@@UXtatic sure. I have another youtube channel under my name.

[@jordanallen7496]

Piano gives such depth to music. She truly is great!

[@Ziriatfalls]

She's a true artist.

[@coffe_3110]

Wow, from this bit that I heard in this short, I really liked both songs. I think more pop artists should experiment with unusual time signatures

[@ovenbongos5831]

I’ve been checking out Willows stuff thanks to your videos and it’s amazing!

[@jairreislima4852]

I think In this song Willow kinda hides the 7/4 time a little bit, maybe with the higher tempo or using less words per line, even though both songs are awesome, Big Feelings seems to be closer to 4/4 vibe

[@mpazinambao2938]

Her music sounds so lovely.

[@Whitestripe71]

lol - I just heard the new single for the first time literally ten minutes ago, and my first thought was, 'wow, this sounds like 7/4 again!'

[@dismaleclipse5587]

Next i wanna hear 11/8

[@IBHID]

You've got to listen to 'Alone' as well! Super nice quintuplets going on in that tune.

[@TheMister123]

Once you listen to the whole song a few times, you realize it's alternating 3/4 and 4/4. There are sections in which the groupings bear this out. And then, out of nowhere, she slaps us with a few in 5/8!!! 😵😵

[@austinhernandez2716]

That's debatable, depends on if you consider it separate bars or not. If it's grouped by 4 beats and 3, and is consistent, then you can consider it 7/4, especially if there's a strong beat at the beginning of each bar. That's how it sounds to me.

[@TheMister123]

@@austinhernandez2716 There's another section of the song in which it is more obvious, because she groups the threes together (actually more like 6/8) and then fours together.

[@samsambanana]

The drum patterns are a very clearly 7 beat phrases...

[@totallykate3906]

Atp shes crazy, this song made me cry bc of how ridiculously out there and good it is just….WOW

[@LaPaisiblePetiteGnomette]

I just listened to some of her songs, she's mind-blowing 🤌

[@puedo78]

Willow is a genius ❤

[@manueldiez5809]

On top of that both songs change to 4/4 in the chorus, what makes that part feel a lot more steady and tight in comparison of the previous movement and oddness that the 7/4 rhythm of the verse provides. By the way, the album is an strange and original masterpiece, very unusual in pop music, a genre mainly guided by the market and their formulas.

[@VenusJefferson]

Willow is so talented and underrated! We need more 7 4 songs Thank you dear David for these informative and awesome videos 🌹

[@rome8180]

Honestly, the new song is even better than "Symptom of Life." It's prog pop. Not only does it use 7/4, the structure of the song is wildly unpredictable. Brilliant.

[@LayRoyalty]

Her whole album Empathogen is genius.

[@_.sweetx]

Honestly i don't know why Willow is not on the top artists yet, she's so unique, she deserves more

[@itsYaGirlJB]

I definitely agree. She’s being true to herself and her music is amazing. She is so deserving but her time is coming

[@Sietenuevas]

hmmm I wonder how much does co-writer Chris Greatti have to do with these odd time signatures. Still, really nice to see it happen! :D

[@zogzoogler]

I reckon the Producer thought she kind of has a Tori Amos tone, Tori was mates with Maynard Keynes of Tool - oh yeah that band that does funny time signatures and did a duet with Tori. That could work and here we are.

[@candicechruscial8885]

It’s very Fiona Apple /Tori Amos reminiscent for me! Loving Miss Willow

[@Pushnotificationsalwaysoffbye]

I swear I didn’t see your comment before commenting this myself! In the new song I heard “I’ve been a bad bad, girl” ❤❤

[@katreenashelby215]

7:4 is so hard to stay on beat. This is really talent

[@cjlister8508]

Oh damn, Willow Smith is good now? Gonna have to go listen to these.

[@blorblin]

She's been pretty good since she started finding her own voice

[@abbott75]

She's been good for a while now

[@riqu.e]

when was she bad?

[@cjlister8508]

@@riqu.e I whip my hair back and forth.

[@skyvenger7724]

I strongly suggest no control The lyrics are pretty emo, but the band and overall production sounds so good

[@cedricjacobs4917]

I think it's also thanks her talented all chicks band. Checked it out on tiny desk pe

[@prasvasu4217]

yea, Mohini is a queen bassist. Every member is so talented. You really feel sad it should be her band; it should be a band...

[@podakayne]

love her music and style...cannnot quite call this pop music

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

It all really depends on the commercial success of it, not any particular musical element. I mean, Louis Armstrong was pop, so were Sinatra, Elvis and The Beatles for the same reason.

[@azzazelynn988]

That first "big feelings" gave me chills omg..

[@rangermpcp]

Yeah she ate with that time signature

[@alvarobastos]

Feels like Fiona Apple, Tori Amos kinda vibe... which I love

[@zanembali205]

It kinda crazy her writing 7 4 with her body within the first umage dhown in this short.

[@blorblin]

Just listened to this and was looking for your coverage on it! Glad to see you were one step ahead of us

[@sfmmmo7599]

Her music is firee

[@xXojiXx]

of the odd time signature I've always found 7/4 to be the most accessible (well except from 3/4 of course), it rly feels quite normal and not as lopsided as most of the other ones

[@jacopodolce684]

Could you please make an analysis of this song as well? Thanks

[@Anksh0usRacing]

Her voice! Big Feelings is amazing and definitely worth a listen

[@CeasefireNow2024]

Its stunning

[@randomvideogenerator5560]

It reminds me of one japanese song Puppet in the dark by FELT

[@juanfenaranjo]

Is it really pop? 🤔

[@GenaLector]

pure talent!

[@marymyatt3004]

SO AMAZING 💕WOW WILLOW💕

[@CoYoTdeLiMa]

Will her coming album be some masterpiece monster like TTDA's 1st one?

[@Panthercholo]

I don't know jack about what you're talking about, but it resembles the sound of Fiona Apple's first album.

[@preposteroussvideos]

I love her so much

[@YoutubePizzer]

feels like we’re going 3/4 4/4 repeatedly

[@devondorr8212]

That's basically what most 7/4 feels like. Odd time signatures usually will feel like a combination of simpler time signatures.

[@Jemiel-qt8re]

Those are my favorite songs off the album ❤

[@blahblahsuperanon]

Symptom of Life is a banger. I think my fav song of hers is still Transparent soul though. Wait A Minute is also a lowkey underrated banger. I know it put her back on the map after Whip My Hair, but it needs more love lol

[@ohersh23]

Why wouldn’t it be considered alternating bars of 4/4 and 3/4?

[@bigitugu]

Because that's just more complicated

[@ericleiter6179]

Because the first bar of 7/4 in the newest single ends with a type of half/deceptive cadence, it really might be more accurately transcribed as in 14/4...but I could be wrong

[@dercekmicsh]

there's something in these songs that sounds like anime intros

[@xCoNa14]

Wait.... That's unironically... Good...

[@MM-vs2et]

That aggressive accented piano is very Tigran Hamasyan. She's absolutely cracked on that album

[@pj6100]

Her name is what gets her the attention. She's uniquely positioned to put a 7/4 song out there and have a large audience listen to it. If you or I wrote this precise song, it simply wouldn't be noticed. Other than that, big Regina Spektor vibes.

[@IDiggPattyMayonnaise]

Not to mention that she was going off about she's really a rocker and her old music wast her true self and she hid it because of gatekeeping. Where did all her spikes and black clothing go? It didn't work out now she's on a different genre in her career.

[@etherealnerd]

Willow has held her own musically for years. Sure being a Smith got her into the door initially with Whip my Hair, but if she was bad she would have been brushed off like a lot of other nepo-baby turned musician cases. Give her credit where it's due

[@reneeharrison3918]

​@@IDiggPattyMayonnaiseShe's an explorer musician... She's traveling on a journey, sharing it with us while we also are experiencing her delve in different music styles. I'm enjoying it this far.

[@LoveforCloudi]

Her name is what got her attention for ‘Whip My Hair’ and ‘Wait A Minute’ but after that…it’s literally up to her to keep a flowing fanbase and interest in her artistry. Trust and believe, you can be a nepo baby and still get major heat, get hatred, and ultimately get dropped if you don’t follow up with your music positively. She’s done that. She’s came out with quality music that is pretty underrated and even under appreciated despite being a nepo baby. Her songs aren’t necessarily a hot topic nor is she. Willow will come out with a new album or new single and it’ll be talked about for a while, then she’s gone again. So…you can’t really blame her name on why she has streams anymore.

[@jacopodolce684]

I was waiting for you.

[@sarahg6551]

she’s an absolute musical powerhouse. i don’t care what anyone says. nepo baby or not, she’s made a path for herself. she’s far outdone her brother.

[@YoutubePizzer]

I didn’t realise she had a music career, cool

[@philfreemedia]

She’s feeling good! 😆

[@ChristinaMoralesMindfuqed]

That scream gave me chills. 😮❤ what is that singing technique called???

[@user-eq3fl1qu2q]

Symptom of Life is one of my favorite songs rn. I'm hoping she releases a prog-pop album or something lol

[@nonofogaborone6640]

It's so unnerving 😢😢

[@bobchuseby]

Cool!

[@RubeeRoja]

I feel like that's just her thing because if I'm not mistaken. She has several more songs in that signature as well

[@brotundwasser]

Bro the triplet thing is basically all my childhood

[@liva2oo3]

please analyse this song too!!

[@hdervish2497]

Wow, she sounds like a jazzed up Tori Amos

[@SamGVL08]

Have you listened to the new album would love to hear your thoughts!!

[@jahnvisingh8015]

I don't know why, but I feel 7/4 is a pretty natural rhythm feel. Maybe because I listen to quite a lot of hindustani classical.

[@haikeem4780]

I don’t want to like this and break the coincidence (currently at 7.4k)

[@Micha-ni9vy]

7/4? Peanuts! I'm working on a piece in 45/32!

[@n-Chantreuse]

Do you feel that in 3, 5, 9, or 15?

[@Micha-ni9vy]

​@@n-Chantreusein 3

[@roboterror6366]

how do they make the hair like that? is it just hair? or they drench it in glue or what?

[@ShatteredAutomaton]

So funny that she is getting any recognition 😂 nepotism lives

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

She is a nepo baby for sure, but she directed all her resources in the right direction and has created very valuable art with them. It takes tons of real talent to do that, she has proven herself talented.

[@user-rk6mn3cp8l]

What makes this 7/4 instead alternating bars of 6/4 and 4/4?

[@JayBigDadyCy]

It's not just the time signatures. It's the use of interesting chords and progressions as well. Almost like a giant middle finger to the last 15 years of pop music writing the same garbage over and over and over again. Just feels like pop music might be finally starting to move in a different direction after stagnating for what feels like ages now. All started with Hip Hop just disappearing, basically.

[@modtrashfire5518]

Girl thinks she Venetian Snares.

[@swebb1155]

Interesting

[@RoboticsBay]

I wonder if she writes her own music or if she just chose very competent musicians to help her

[@ikhsanramadhans214]

Can you make video explaining a gorillaz song like el mañana or feel good inc.?

[@susanegley4149]

Tori Amos, anyone?

[@user-op7jg4vk3y]

She is inside the radio and she not come back

[@lemonize30]

14/8 me personally for symptom of life

[@Mycenaea]

Not people giving her the credit for this. LOL

[@mayowaoduntan2349]

It's not pop

[@stoneagealienz874]

So this whole family just owns the concept of being pretentious now right?

[@IDiggPattyMayonnaise]

So her "Im a punk rocker and always was this isnt a phase, but i knew i wouldn't get accepted because im black and female and all the gatekeepers so I hid it" was literally just a phase. She had a lot to say about misogyny in rock stopping her so it was freeing to be her true "punk rock" self finally .

[@Mint_Teal16]

Womp womp

[@gitaaa7740]

How can we trust it’s really her singing? With all the processing they use these days? Mr. Bennet what do you think?

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Well, live videos for one. But also audio processing isn’t THAT good and certainly isn’t transparent. You can hear when singing is heavily tuned and this is not.

[@gitaaa7740]

@@DavidBennettPiano Thanks for the reply Mr. Bennett!

[@jyabriel08]

She did a tiny desk concert about a week ago its absolutely her voice.

[@gitaaa7740]

@@jyabriel08 Thanks for the reply. I will have to check that out. I do like the song.

[@resonatingspirit]

Being in 74 and having a great arrangement doesn’t save the songs from mediocrity unfortunately…

[@Catman_321]

I think her songs are great but just don't have the best execution. Her recent album has a lot of good songs but I feel like they just end before they have time to really catch me. bigfeelings was good though imo

[@LoveforCloudi]

This album was pretty solid though. Def not mediocre in the slightest

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

@@Catman_321 I agree that the songs are way shorter than it's expected for "serious artists" but I think they are well executed despite their short duration. For me the album was musically fulfilling despite being barely half an hour. The best part is that it doesn't sound rushed but organically well-put, I guess it's part of her essence since pretty much all her albums are that short.

[@Beebsentrance]

Fiona Apple did it already.

[@Sara-lu3dm]

She was probably influenced by her.

[@erikhuseth1578]

She must have listened to some soundgarden for the first time

[@jamesrichards2720]

Why did she do that to her teeth? Her songs actually sound good, I just wish I could understand her lyrics.

[@TheMister123]

It's temporary, I think. It's different in each video.

[@GDBGDB]

They’re grills lol. You can get them in a multitude of styles and pop them out whenever

[@Drone3vil]

7/4 once in a blue moon? *Laughs in prog metal*

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

They are talking about *pop*

[@cesteacy]

second track was terrible.

[@steves5119]

sounds like junk writen by AI

[@Blockoumi]

Literally the opposite of AI music what??

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

​@@BlockoumiYup, AI is formulaic, Willow is anything but.

[@LoveforCloudi]

Either you’ve never heard a song written by AI or you’ve listened to too many because Willow is the opposite of a deeply crafted formula by simulation. She’s literally an unnerving, strange pattern that is disorganized. This isn’t anything close to AI.

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

@@LoveforCloudi Not "disorganized", but more like "creatively structured". Creativity is inherent in true artistic expression, a musical artist can have his signature sound, but the moment all his output starts sounding formulaic and derivative, said artist is no longer better than an algorhythm in my opinion. Sadly, that happened to AC/DC and even Slayer. And then we have a derivative band like Greta Van Fleet, that is pretty much an AI filter of "Led Zeppelin vocals and guitar" over lesser compositions.

[@guff9567]

Did What? Made into a basket?

[@standardaussie]

Great, another serj tankian. . .. We get it, your weird, different, whatever you want to call It. But starting with something un listen able then tweeking it till it's just bearable is not creative. Stop it 🛑 ✋️ Cringe

[@Sara-lu3dm]

Agreed. I'm gonna go check the rest of her music but not liking what I'm hearing.

[@LoveforCloudi]

Girl, what? It’s just an odd time signature. You’re looking into it wayyyy too deep😂

[@laroidX]

Bro why are u listening to willow smith?

[@tanay6003]

maybe he likes it

[@ZombieGregor]

Willow smith is a very cool artist. Maybe try her out.

[@stere0lens]

she's cool as fuck. symptom of life is dope, vocals on big feelings are wild

[@DavidBennettPiano]

because she is a great artist!

[@ericsiegel1087]

this is a channel about creatively written pop and rock songs, and she seems to fit that description. dont think itd be right to count her out just because she had an annoying hit when she was 14 years old