If you want to write a good pop song, that’s great. There are plenty of artists out there who do that very well. But if you want to write a song that will stand the test of time and connect to generation after generation, you’re going to have to dig a little deeper into the bag of compositional tricks. Adele is an artist who has achieved fame as a pop star, but her songs have a depth we rarely find in mainstream pop music, especially in the years before she came onto the scene.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the music of Adele and explore just a couple of the things that make her music special from a compositional standpoint. Her lyrics are great, and her musical instincts are second to none, but specifically today, we will focus on her use of modulation and melisma and how it can help take a good pop song and turn it into a masterpiece that can inspire and empower or move the listener to tears.
How Vocal Ornamentation Adds Soul and Emotion to a Song
Melisma is one of the enjoyable words to say in the compositional dictionary (say it 5 times… I’ll wait), but it can also be a powerful and effective tool for expression. With only twelve notes available to us in Western music, a lot of weight is carried by how those notes are presented. In case you are unfamiliar, melisma is when a single syllable of text is sung while moving through several different notes. A great example is Whitney Houston‘s rendition of Dolly Parton‘s classic “I Will Always Love You,” where the words “I” and “You” feature extended melisma. She stretches each syllable over multiple notes, turning a simple phrase into a deeply soulful expression of emotion.
Melisma is a widespread technique in soul, gospel, and R&B music by artists such as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin. Of course, it bleeds into rock music as well – singers like Chris Cornell and Steven Tyler are quite famous for their use of the technique. Let’s turn our focus to one artist who has used the technique to great effect – that artist, of course, is Adele.
Adele’s music has touched so many people and yielded numerous chart-topping hits. One reason people connect with her music is the vulnerability and emotion in her melodic delivery. Across her entire discography, melisma is a part of Adele’s signature vocal style. She uses it in a tasteful way rather than being too acrobatic or ornamental in her delivery. Adele’s vocal delivery can be a nice blend of powerful and more fragile segments. This duplicitous talent makes her such a pop music powerhouse.
Adele uses modulation sparingly but strategically. In gong like “Easy On Me,” “All I Ask,” “Someone Like You,” and “Rolling In The Deep” exemplify Adele’s use of this technique and how it can be used to add a depth of emotion to a song that has lyrics that are already pretty serious or intense.
Building Emotional Power Through Subtle Key Changes
Adele’s use of melisma is augmented by modulation in her songs. Using modulation, she creates an emotional architecture for the song. These modulations are often subtle, but they offer a shifting ground for the melody to glide over. This sort of song craft is a masterclass in writing a ballad with pop sensibilities. The harmonic trajectory retains a soulful atmosphere, whether the song is more of a driving, intense song like “Rolling In The Deep” or stripped-down, like “Someone Like You.”
In a song like “Set Fire To The Rain,” she saves the modulation for moments of narrative release where it is most effective. Her modulations are often quite subtle, sometimes achieved through tonicizations or borrowed chords rather than full key changes. Still, even those subtle shifts can turn despair to assertion and pain into power. Sure, whole-step lifts can have a theatrical effect, but the subtlety of Adele’s compositions makes them feel more grounded and real – somehow grittier. Those characteristics touch listeners, even subconsciously, and we can identify with the narratives in her songs.
Why Craft and Restraint Make Adele’s Songs Timeless
Adele is unquestionably an incredibly talented pop star, but I think what sets her apart from most pop stars is her maturity in her songwriting. The way she crafts her music touches on elements that lie at the core of every one of us. It makes her songs hit a lot harder than the standard pop song.
Strictly from the perspective of someone who enjoys studying compositional structure, her songs are a fantastic way to study the effects of modulation and melisma and how they can combine to create something more than a pop song – they can create incredibly moving pieces of music that will stand the test of time.
