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Audio/Video
General Information
At a Glance
Structural Analysis
Sectional Analysis
Waveform
Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix
Benchmark Analysis
Overall Assessment
Hit Factor Assessment
Conclusion
Why it’s a Hit
Take Aways
General Information Back to Top
Artist: Lady Antebellum
Song/Album: Need You Now / Need You Now
Songwriter(s): D. Haywood, J. Kear, C. Kelley, H. Scott
Grammys 2011: Record & Song of the Year
Chart Position: #1 Country Songs, #2 Pop Songs
Genre: Country / Pop
Length: 4:38
Structure: A-B-A-B-Solo-C-B
Tempo: Mid (~110 bpm)
First Chorus: 1:07 (24% into the song)
Intro Length: 0:37
Outro Length: 1:08
Primary Tone (Electric/Acoustic): Electric / Acoustic
Primary Instrumentation: Guitar
Lyrical Theme: Love/Relationships
Primary Lyrical P.O.V: 1st Person
Song Title Occurrences: Occurs 11 times in the song – 3 times in the chorus (2nd, 4th and 6th line) and twice during the outro.
Structural Analysis Back to Top
At-a-Glance
Section Length (Length of each individual section within the song)
As we can see from the graph above, the majority of sections are quite short in length, landing between 0:09 and 0:16. The exceptions are the choruses, (landing at 0:26), the intro (landing at 0:37), and a very long outro, (landing at 1:08 and comprising 25% of the total song).
Structure Timeline (Shows when each section hits within the timeline of the song)
Total Section Analysis (Total time consumed by each section and its percentage of the total song)
It’s no surprise that the majority of “Need You Now” (28%) is devoted to that powerful, emotionally charged, catchy chorus. What IS surprising is for such a blockbuster hit to have 25% of its composition devoted to the outro section (landing at 1:08). That being said, keep in mind that even though “Need You Now” is a Pop oriented song, it still falls in the Country genre, where long intro’s and outro’s are commonplace (though typically not as long as in this song).
Now, let’s look at the song another way. If we look at the structure of the song without the long intro and outro sections, we get an even clearer picture of how the chorus is the focal point of the song. Without those two sections factored into the equation, the Chorus accounts for 45% of the total song, followed by the verse and pre-chorus only accounting for 19% and 16% respectively.
Momentum/Intensity Factor (Evaluation of the intensity of each section within the song timeline on a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being the most intense)
“Need You Now” is characterized by a solid, grooving backbeat with changes in intensity and momentum primarily due to level and instrumentation changes/additions.
The song starts out sparse, mellow and solemn in nature, characterized by the solo piano, synth swells and the “missed call” phone dialog in the background. The addition of the bass at 0:10 adds additional tension to the mix, before launching into the primary groove with the entire band at 0:19.
The overall momentum is maintained from the last part of the intro through the entire first verse¸ eventually increasing a notch during the pre-chorus at 0:53, due to the increased tension brought on from the female/male harmony and rise in vocal inflection. At 1:06 we enter the “transitional” section, where the vocals end and the last chord rings out. This provides a good break in momentum in order to set up the more powerful chorus that lies ahead.
Once we hit the chorus at 1:09, the overall intensity is increased significantly due in part to the more driving instrumentation (i.e. up front acoustic guitars), vocal harmony delivery and enhanced emotion brought on by the slide guitar. The momentum is kept up throughout the entire section, before being brought back down during the turn-around.
The second verse is slightly more intense in nature than the first both due to the louder nature of the male lead vocal and addition of the piano and synth accentuations. We see the same general flow as we did during the first verse/pre-chorus, with the exception being that this time the “transition” into the chorus kicks up a notch with the addition of the drum fill.
The second chorus is on the same momentum/intensity level as the first chorus. Once the solo hits at 2:38, the intensity is brought up even further, characterized by the emotionally charged slide guitar and crash cymbal hits.
Once we enter the short bridge at 2:55, the intensity is brought way back down, characterized by the female/male harmony, piano and acoustic guitar.
We then slam right back into the chorus at 3:04, and eventually increase the intensity even further during the first section of the outro (which is similar in nature to the solo section). At 4:05, the intensity is brought back down to where it all began at the beginning of the song, ending at 4:38.
Sectional Analysis Back to Top
Intro: 9/10
The intro to “Need You Now” is very effective on a number of levels:
- It instantly elicits the longing, melancholy tone for the entire song, from the sparse piano and answering machine dialog to the full band kick-in during the second half of the section.
- The second half of the intro, where the full band kicks in, creates “song identity” with the lead guitar melody line (which is similar in nature to the lead vocal melody during the verses).
- The second half of the intro seamlessly transitions into the first verse.
Verses: 9/10
Clocking in at only 0:16, the verse sections do a great job of setting the scene in a very short period of time. Highlights include:
- Effective and clever use of lyrical imagery (“Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor” in verse 1, “Another shot of whiskey, can’t stop looking at the door” in verse 2).
- A simple, yet very memorable melody line.
- Great use of Prosody – the vocal deliveries perfectly convey the emotion depicted in the lyrics.
- It was clever to have the first verse represent the female perspective and the second verse to represent the male perspective, both being sung by a female and male respectively. This does a great job of further wrapping the listener into the story line, thereby keeping them engaged.
- The lyrics provide the perfect lead in to the pre-chorus.
Pre-Chorus: 9/10
The pre-chorus is very effective for a few reasons:
- The lyrics (“And I wonder if I ever cross your mind. For me it happens all the time”) provide the perfect storyline bridge between the verse and the chorus sections.
- The lyrics perfectly set up the chorus.
- Both the vocal delivery and lyrics (in both pre-choruses), take the tension to a climax, before resolving in the chorus.
Chorus: 10/10
The key to any great song is to have a very strong payoff for the listener in the chorus. “Need You Now” certainly delivers on all levels, including:
- The impact of the chorus hitting is accentuated by the lull in the “transition” right at the tail end of the pre-chorus. The result provides more impact at the onset of the section.
- The “minimal” lyrical changes between the first, second and third choruses help to provide the song with a constantly engaging storyline. The first chorus’s “I’m all alone…” relates to the female’s story established in the first verse, and the second chorus’s “I’m a little drunk…” relates to the male’s story established in the second verse. The third brings them both together with “I’m all alone and I need you now. And I said I wouldn’t call but I’m a little drunk and I need you now.”
- The instrumentation is more driving in nature than during the previous sections of the song, propelling the chorus along with increased urgency.
- The male/female vocal harmonies are tight and effective.
- The vocal phrasing is top notch and very memorable.
- The slide guitar adds a lot of character to the section, taking the overall emotion to new heights.
Solo: 9/10
Though quite brief in nature (clocking in at just 0:17), the solo does a great job of taking the emotion that was present in the chorus and taking it to the next level. This is primarily achieved both through the addition of the crash cymbals and the “Layla” oriented slide guitar.
Bridge: 9/10
The shortest primary section of the song (landing at just 0:09), the bridge in “Need You Now” does a great job of bringing down the momentum and intensity that was present during the chorus and solo sections in order to give the chorus that follows more impact when it hits. The lyrics and female/male vocal harmony delivery of “Yes I’d rather hurt than feel nothing at all” sum up the feelings of both characters within the story.
Outro: 9/10
The longest section of the entire song (clocking in at 1:08, 25% of the total song), the outro here has two primary facets to it. First, it brings the song to an intense grand finale characterized by the emotional slide guitar runs, which is reminiscent of the instrumental section within Derek and the Dominos “Layla.” The last 0:32 of the song reverts back to the sparse, melancholy, longing vibe that was present during the intro section, gently placing the listener back down on the ground. All in all, it’s a very effective way to conclude one emotional tour de force of a song.
Here we get a good picture of how the sound levels coincide with shifts in momentum and intensity depicted earlier in the report. From the intro through the pre-chorus, the sound levels are at about half to three quarters of their maximum level. We then see the drop off at the transition point right after the pre-chorus before coming close to the saturation point during the chorus. In the second verse, we see the levels are slightly stronger than they were during the first verse, before once again building to the saturation point during the chorus and solo. We then once again see the drop off in levels during the bridge, before returning to the max during the third chorus and first half of the outro section. The levels return to that of the intro during the final part of the outro section.
Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix Back to Top
Benchmark Analysis Back to Top
Compares the song being analyzed to all Pop songs that have entered the Billboard Pop top 10: Q1 through Q4-2010.
Considering that “Need You Now” is a Pop/Country crossover, it’s interesting to see how it compares with other top 10 Hit Pop songs from Q1 – Q4 2010. As you’ll see, they don’t have a lot in common:
- The song is sung by both a male and female, where the majority of Pop songs are sung by a male.
- The song structure contains a solo where the vast majority of hit Pop songs don’t.
- The song length is 0:51 longer than the average top 10 Pop song.
- The intro length is 0:24 longer than the average hit Pop song.
- The outro is 0:47 longer than the average hit Pop song.
- The first chorus kicks in 0:30 (7%) later into the song than the average top 10 Pop song.
- The tempo is mid in nature, where the majority of hit Pop songs have a mid/up tempo.
- The primary tone is a combination of electric and acoustic, where the typical top 10 Pop song is all electric in nature.
- The primary instrumentation is guitar based, where the majority of Pop hits are synth based.
- The style is Country Pop, where the vast majority of top 10 hit Pop songs are Electro + other elements in nature, such as Rock, R&B and Hip Hop.
Overall Assessment Back to Top
Structure: 9.5/10
Does the song flow in a cohesive manner? The structure within “Need You Now” is perfectly set to keep the listener engaged throughout. All of the sections (minus the intro and outro) are relatively short in nature, with each section building on the next both lyrically and melodically. That being said, even the intro and outro sections, which are quite long (landing at 0:37 and 1:08 respectively) are well structured in the sense that they split between intense and mellow, thereby keeping the listener engaged.
Production: 9/10
How does the production stand up in maximizing the songs impact? The production is crisp, with each instrument coming in perfectly through the mix. Another great attribute is that the song is both slick and raw in nature, giving it a modern production feel with a “human” vibe. The end result is a song that exudes emotion, enabling the listener to connect on a deeper level.
Tone: 9/10
Does the instrumentation and sound maximize the vibe of the song? One of the highlights of “Need You Now” is the great tone present within all of the instrumentation and how they all gel together in accentuating the emotion present within the song. The drums have a modern feel, while the other instrumentation, such as the electric slide and pedal steel guitars give the song a classic vibe. All together, they create the perfect sonic backdrop for the vocals.
Lyrics: 9.5/10
Do the lyrics serve the song and jibe with the vibe of the music? Country songs are typified by their clever, story drawn lyrics. “Need You Now” is no different. The storyline is simple – two ex-lovers, one of who is lonely and the other drunk, missing each other immensely. It’s probably not right that connect once again, but at that moment, it’s all that they want in the world.
Overall, the lyrics are quite “simple” in nature (easy for the listener to connect without having to think too much), yet are conveyed in a clever manner that makes the story both interesting and engaging. What’s really great about the song, as mentioned earlier in the report, is how it’s split up between the woman’s and man’s point of view – both lyrically and vocally. The way that they come together during the bridge and third chorus brings the song to an emotional climax.
Vocal Delivery: 9.5/10
Does the tonality and phrasing of the vocals maximize the songs impact? The vocals in this song are top notch, both from an emotional delivery standpoint, and also how the female/male vocal harmonies lock on perfectly.
Hit Factor Assessment Back to Top
Memorability: 9/10
How easy is it to remember this song after you hear it once? “Need You Now” is an exceptionally memorable song, specifically due to the use of great melodic phrasing, an engaging/clever storyline that just about anyone who has ever been in love can identify with, and the overall simplistic elegance of the song.
Originality: 7/10
Does this song have its own unique vibe when compared to other songs/artists in the genre? The first time that I heard this song, I immediately thought of Allan Parsons “Eye In The Sky.” Even after dozens and dozens of listens, I still sometimes walk away with “Eye In The Sky” in my head. Interestingly, Hillary Scott once mentioned in an interview that she never heard of Allan Parsons before. Whatever the case may be, it’s not the most original sounding song in the world, but there are elements, such as the Pop/Country crossover vibe, the vocal harmonies, and the great way that the song is divided between the male and female perspectives does give it somewhat of an original flair in today’s market.
Longevity: 10/10 (Artist), 8.5/10 (Overall genre Genre)
Does this song have what it takes to stand the test of time? “Need You Now” is an exceptionally well crafted, clever and memorable song. The storyline is timeless, exemplified by the great use of emotion. There is no doubt that this song will be considered a top highlight in Lady Antebellum’s catalog, but should also secure a top spot amongst the best Country/Pop crossover hits of all time.
Conclusion: number/10 Back to Top
The Good:
- A simple lyrical theme presented in a clever way, making great use of imagery and female/male perspectives.
- It’s very well structured and keeps the listener engaged throughout. Each section builds upon one another, from a lyrical, melodic and intensity perspective.
- The song makes great use of emotion in both the vocal delivery and instrumentation (i.e. slide guitar during the chorus, solo and outro sections).
- It’s very memorable in nature, both melodically and lyrically.
- It’s very well produced, with each instrument being perfectly audible in the mix, and the production giving it both a slick and raw, human feel that the listener can connect with on an emotional level.
The Bad:
- I’m happy to say that there is absolutely nothing negative that I can say about this song.
There are two primary factors that work together in making “Need You Now” a hit:
- The Music: “Need You Now” is an exceptionally well crafted, memorable song with effective lyrics that that people can easily identify with.
- Cross Genre Pollination: “Need You Now” possesses characteristics that are both Country and Pop in nature. That, coupled with the exceptional music, result in a song that has easily, and quite successfully translated into both markets. To date, the song has won four Grammys, including record and song of the year, charted in 19 Countries and placed on the following Billboard charts in the US:
- Country Songs (#1)
- Adult Contemporary (#1)
- Adult Pop Songs (#1)
- Pop Songs (#2)
- Hot 100 (#2)
- Hot Dance Club Songs (#15)
- If you want to maximize your potential audience reach, adding some cross-genre elements into your song will help do the trick (such as adding some pedal steel into a mainstream Pop song). Lady Antebellum capitalized on fusing elements of both Pop and Country into “Need You Now” that helped to broaden the scope of its success.
- If you plan on writing a duet, take note of how it was successfully structured in “Need You Now.” The first verse was sung by a woman, from her point of view. The second verse was sung by a male, from his point of view. The bridge and all choruses were sung in male/female harmony. Take the time to set your lyrics in a way where you can capitalize on this effectively.
- When writing specifically for mainstream Pop and Pop/Country crossovers, the most effective lyrics are simplistic in nature, conveyed in a clever way and have a universal theme for mass appeal. All these ingredients combined will heighten your songs chances for success.
- Try to keep the sections within your song concise and to-the-point. Even if some of your sections are long in nature (such as the intro and outro in “Need You Now”), break them up by adding and subtracting elements and intensity to ensure that your listener is kept engaged.
- Modern, slick production coupled with a raw “live” vibe and instrumentation will help to get your listeners to connect on a deeper emotional level. There is still something to be said for having a “human” quality in music, and this is something that is very well achieved in “Need You Now.”