Hooks

I = Intro | A = Verse | B = Chorus | VB = Vocal Break | PST = Post-Chorus | “D” = Departure | O = Outro
Number: Denotes the number of times that a particular hook/motif appears within a section

Vocal Hooks

Song Title Hook

Last Night’s main vocal hook is “no way it was our last night,” appearing in the verses, vocal break post-choruses and outro. At its core is K.I.S.S. ME (keep it simple, singable and memorable) construction, consisting mainly of a stepwise and stagnant eighth and quarter-note driven pattern within a limited range.

There are two variations of the hook, each possessing similar and contrasting qualities:

• Verses: Each verse begins with the same hook melody and lyric (“no way it was the last night”) but concludes with a lyrical variation (“kiss your lips” and “we break up,” respectively). In verse 1, the hook cleverly serves to both summarize the preceding chorus and kick off the ensuing verse development. In verse 2, it does the same but following the vocal break post-chorus.
• Vocal Break Post-Choruses & Outro: Following choruses 2 and 3, the vocal break post-choruses feature two back-to-back repetitions of the song title hook. While the first iteration features the same melody heard at the top of the verse sections, the second iteration features a subtle melodic variation that heightens interest and the emotion of the lyric. This same pattern repeats at the end of the outro, bringing the song to a conclusion on a familiar and memorable note, while the new context helps to maintain interest

Instrumental Hooks

Foundational Instrumental Hook

Last Night’s foundational hook is an arpeggiated acoustic guitar pattern featured throughout the song. Its heard most notably in the intro’s sparse arrangement, where it serves to establish the song’s laid back country influence while functioning as an instantly recognizable calling card. It is then reinforced in each subsequent section in varying degrees of prominence, serving as a cohesive thread underneath Wallen’s vocals. 

Nano Hook

The electric guitar nano hook performs a brief, atmospheric, country-influenced lick in every section save for the intro, first chorus and outro. It is strategically placed throughout the song, functioning in a transitional manner leading into choruses 2 and 3 and at the midway point within chorus stanzas, where it serves as a subtle, catchy embellishment.

Creative Hook Foreshadowing & Reinforcement

Song Title Hook Reinforcement

The “no way it was our last night” song title hook is melodically reinforced across the last three lines of both verse sections. The first two iterations (3-7-7-7-1) are melodically similar to the hook’s first appearance at the top of the verse, vocal break post-choruses and outro. The last iteration (3-4-3-2-1) is similar to the hook’s second appearance in the vocal break post-choruses and outro. The melody’s new lyrics and context helps to keep things interesting as the song progresses while further ingraining the all-important hook in the listener’s head – albeit in a clever, under-the-radar manner.

Nano Hook Fragment

Fragments of the electric guitar nano hook are heard in each chorus and the outro. In chorus 1, it serves to subtly foreshadow the full hook that makes its first appearance at the end of verse 1 leading into chorus 2. Subsequent iterations serve as familiar embellishments while preventing the full hook from becoming overly redundant.  

Structure: Overview

Genres & Influences: Overview

Last Night features a combination of country, pop, hip hop/rap and rock influences that are put into effect by the qualities of the vocals, instruments, lyrics, and the overall production.

Key

X: The influence appears prominently within the stanza and/or section
x: The influence appears minimally within the stanza and/or section

Instrumentation & Arrangement: Overview

Last Night’s instrumental arrangement expertly fuses modern mainstream pop and hip hop with traditional country. Along with broadening the song’s appeal and jibing with Wallen’s body of work, the timbre and patterns of the instrumentation perfectly complements the vocals and lyrics to heighten the listener’s emotional connection with the song.

Energy: Overview

In contrast to many of today’s hits, Last Night traverses through two energy level waves as opposed to three, which is due to its lack of an energy-reducing “D” section. The song features both subtle and notable energy shifts, effectively maintaining groove and vibe and calling attention to specific sections.

S.I.A. (Section Impact Accentuator) Key

Downward Yellow S.I.A.: A part of the accompaniment is removed from the mix, resulting in a brief reduction in energy

Harmony: Overview

Last Night uses one main chord progression with no significant deviations.

Vocal Production: Overview

Vocal Melody: Overview

Last Night possesses all the melodic qualities that one would expect to find in a chart-topping hit. At its core is the K.I.S.S. ME principle (keep it simple, singable and memorable), with logically unfolding melodic patterns, easy-to-lock into rhythms, generally short phrases, and an effective balance between stepwise/stagnant motion and intervallic leaps.

The song unfolds in an engaging manner within and across sections, varying the range, direction, and rhythms to maintain interest while heightening the listener’s emotional connection with the lyrics. This is perhaps most notable in the choruses, with their “up and down a hill” arching melodic progressions.

Song Structure

Energy & Dynamics

Overview

In contrast to many of today’s hits, Last Night traverses through two energy level waves as opposed to three, which is due to its lack of an energy-reducing “D” section. The song features both subtle and notable energy shifts, effectively maintaining groove and vibe and calling attention to specific sections.

Energy Arrangement

S.I.A. (Section Impact Accentuator) Key

Downward Yellow S.I.A.: A part of the accompaniment is removed from the mix, resulting in a brief reduction in energy

Loudness

Energy & Loudness: Section-By-Section

Wave 1: Intro (I) – Vocal Break 1 (VB1)

Intro (I)
As is the case with many of today’s hits, Last Night’s intro features the lowest energy level in the song, which provides room for growth in subsequent sections. This is due to the sparseness of the arrangement, which consists solely of acoustic guitar that provides a subtle degree of motion, and low-level electric guitar atmospherics.

Chorus 1 (B1)
With the sparse instrumental arrangement of the intro remaining in effect, chorus 1 provides a slight bump in energy due to the addition of Wallen’s emotive vocals into the mix.

Verse 1 (A1)
Last Night’s energy further increases – albeit slightly – in the first stanza of verse 1. This is mainly due to Wallen’s shift to a rap-influenced, more rhythmically propulsive and dense vocal delivery, and the addition of low-level shaker. Stanza 2’s energy remains relatively on par with stanza 1, but with a higher degree of tension and emotive energy and a lesser degree of rhythmic energy as the song heads into the second chorus. 

S.I.A. #1

Chorus 2 (B2)
Following the engaging partial accompaniment pull S.I.A., chorus 2 thrusts the song’s energy up to its first peak. As opposed to the rhythmic and tension-based energy in the verse, here the energy is mainly defined by the addition of kick and deep bass, which provide a notably heightened degree of power, backbeat snaps, and a doubled lead vocal. 

Vocal Break 1 (VB1)
Following the climactic second chorus, vocal break post-chorus 1 keeps energy at a high due to the continuation of the chorus’ powerful accompaniment and the addition of eight-note A.M.P. (alternating melodic pattern) plucks. However, the level is slightly lower than the chorus due to the more restrained and sparse vocal performance.

Wave 2: Verse 2 (A2) – Outro (O)

Verse 2 (A2)
Following two sections of high energy, verse 2 brings the level back down at the beginning of “wave 2,” a commonality shared with many of today’s hits. This is put into effect through the reversion to the core qualities of its verse 1 counterpart, which leaves room for growth in subsequent sections. However, verse 2’s energy is a notch above verse 1 due to the unique addition of cross-stick on the backbeat, which provides the section with a subtly heightened degree of rhythmic energy. 

S.I.A. #2

In the last two beats of verse 2, a partial accompaniment pull S.I.A. is once again employed to transition into the third and final chorus. However, in contrast to S.I.A. #1, the kick and bass are left in the mix, playing a pattern that doubles the chorus vocal pickup. Along with punctuating the vocals, this provides a comparatively more energetic lead in.

Chorus 3 (B3)
Like the verse 1/verse 2 relation, chorus 3 features slightly higher energy compared to its chorus 2 counterpart. Here it’s achieved through the addition of harmony on Wallen’s lead, which contributes to density and results in a subtly more powerful vocal performance.

Vocal Break 2 (VB2)
Following the climactic third chorus, vocal break post-chorus 2 sees a slight drop in energy due to a decrease in vocal rhythmic motion, similar to its first occurrence counterpart.

Outro (O)
Bars 1-4
After a slight decrease in energy in vocal break post-chorus 2, the first four bars of the outro return to the peak energy level of chorus 3 by maintaining the dense, powerful instrumental arrangement and reprising the chorus’ powerful, emotionally intense vocal delivery.

Bars 5-8
The last four bars of the outro energetically “wind down” the song with a thinned-out arrangement and a reversion to the more restrained post-chorus vocal.

Music & Instruments: Section By Section

Intro (0:00 – 0:09)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# Major: IV-V-vi)

Last Night’s intro features a sparse arrangement, consisting solely of acoustic guitar and sustained slide electric guitar.

• Acoustic: This guitar is featured up front in the mix, panned across the stereo field and is relatively dry in terms of processing, providing an intimate vibe. Its plucked pattern establishes the song’s country influence, laid-back groove, harmonic progression, and serves as the song’s recognizable foundational hook that remains in effect from start to finish. 
• Sustained Slide Electric: In the back of the mix is an electric guitar playing a slide pattern processed with copious reverb. In addition to contributing to the intro’s sparse, country-influenced landscape, its atmospheric quality provides an underlying sense of tension and unease, which effectively sets the tone for the problematic storyline that lays ahead. 

Furthermore, the general sparseness of the arrangement provides room for growth in subsequent sections, a quality found in the vast majority of recent hit song intros.

Intro Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Chorus 1 (0:09 – 0:28)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

The intro accompaniment seamlessly transitions into the first chorus, providing a cohesive thread across sections and allowing the listener’s full attention to be on the vocals and lyrics without distraction. The acoustic guitar foundational hook provides the main accompaniment throughout, while a low-level electric guitar subtly heightens interest while foreshadowing the full chorus 2 nano hook in the second half of the section. 

Chorus 1 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Verse 1 (0:28 – 0:47)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

Verse 1 maintains the chorus accompaniment, again allowing the listener’s focus to be on the vocals and lyrics while maintaining vibe and further reinforcing the foundational guitar hook. The sole instrumental difference between sections is the addition of low-level shaker, which provides subtle rhythmic motion and texture.

At the end of the verse, a partial accompaniment pull S.I.A. (section impact accentuator) is implemented by removing all elements save for a more prominent iteration of the nano hook electric guitar. This jarring moment serves a few key purposes, including:

• Heightening engagement and tension leading into the subsequent chorus.
• Highlighting the chorus vocal pickup.
• Highlighting the full guitar nano hook, which was partially foreshadowed in chorus 1.
• Allowing the more powerful chorus arrangement to hit with increased perceived impact due to the contrast imparted.
  

Verse 1 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Chorus 2 (0:47 – 1:06)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

Chorus 2 provides the most notable shift in the instrumental arrangement heard thus far in the song. With the acoustic guitar foundational hook and low-level shaker providing cross-section continuity, the following elements are introduced for the first time:

• Kick and synth bass: An electronic kick and deep 808 synth bass provide notable bottom-end power for the first time in the song. This, along with the hip hop-inspired pattern, calls further attention to the chorus and allows it to further stand out and connect with the listener. Furthermore, note that their dark timbres effectively jibe with the problematic nature of the lyrics to create effective prosody and bolster the listener’s emotional connection with the song. 
• Snaps: Complimenting the kick and synth bass are acoustic-timbred snaps sounding on the backbeat (beats 2 and 4). In addition to providing a steady rhythmic pulse against the more varied kick/bass pattern, they contribute mid/high frequency information that balances between the higher-frequency acoustic guitar and the lower-frequency kick and bass. 
• Electric guitar embellishments: Following the electric guitar nano pickup at the end of the verse, two more full and partial repetitions are featured throughout the chorus. Along with the heavy reverb processing, they provide the chorus with a subtle, catchy, country-influenced quality along with a heightened degree of atmosphere. In addition, another heavily reverbed and filtered guitar is featured even lower in the mix that serves the main purpose of providing a heightened degree of underlying atmosphere.
  

Chorus 2 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Vocal Break 1 (1:06 – 1:15)

Chord Progression: : B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

Vocal break post-chorus 1 continues the core instrumental arrangement from the chorus. This results in maintained vibe and groove while allowing the listener’s full attention to be on the repetition of the song title hook. In addition, a steel-string ukulele playing an A.M.P. (alternating melodic pattern) is added to the mix, which contributes density and texture along with subtly heightening cross-section interest.

Vocal Break 1 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Verse 2 (1:15 – 1:34)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

Following the dense chorus and vocal break post-chorus, verse 2 strips the arrangement back to the verse 1 accompaniment, which creates like-section familiarity and provides room for the song to grow once again. However, this time around a new filtered cross-stick replaces the chorus’ snaps on the backbeat, heightening interest with its unique timbre and texture. In addition, the underlying acoustic timbre is in line with traditional country, while the filtering and reverb processing puts it in a modern space.

Similar to its verse 1 counterpart, the section ends with a partial accompaniment pull S.I.A. that removes all the verse elements from the mix, along with the reintroduction of the electric guitar nano hook. However, here kick and bass are included as well, which serve to punctuate the vocal pickup and prevent cookie-cutter S.I.A. redundancy.

Verse 2 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Chorus 3 (1:34 – 2:12)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

Chorus 3, which is twice the length of the preceding choruses, features essentially the same dense and powerful instrumental arrangement as its chorus 2 counterpart. Note that while many of today’s hits subtly develop the chorus to heighten interest against the vocal and lyrical repetition, here the like-section continuity provides a familiar base against the atypical lyrical changeups across stanzas.

Chorus 3 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Vocal Break 2 (2:12 – 2:21)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

Vocal break post-chorus 2 features the same instrumental arrangement as its first occurrence counterpart, heightening like-section familiarity while achieving the same cross-section results.

Vocal Break 2 Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Outro (2:21 – 2:39)

Chord Progression: B – C# – D#m (F# major: IV-V-vi)

The first segment of the outro (bars 1-4) maintains the preceding vocal break post-chorus instrumental arrangement. The cross-section continuity keeps the listener locked in and focused while the vocal developments serve to heighten interest.

The second segment of the outro then strips back the arrangement in a similar fashion as the verses. This achieves a few key things, including winding the song down after 20 straight bars of similar dense, energetic accompaniment, further heightening interest as the song draws to a close, and putting the listener’s main focus on the last repetition of the song title hook.

Outro Arrangement: At-A-Glance

Progression 1

Progression 1: Variation 1a (Intro)

B – C# – D#m

Lyrics & Rhymes

Rhyme Schemes

Overview

Last Night features an abundance of expertly crafted rhymes and other connection accentuators that bolster the song’s ability to get firmly ingrained in the listener’s head. Among them are logically unfolding end-of-line rhyme schemes and a plethora of strategically placed internal rhymes, double and triple rhymes, alliterations, lyrical repetitions, cross-section commonalities and unique pronunciations to make rhymes happen where they otherwise wouldn’t. In addition, mirroring between the end-of-line rhyme scheme, melodic structure and syllabic structure in certain sections further heightens cohesion and connection value.

At-A-Glance: End-Of-Line Rhymes Section-By-Section

Key

A, B & C: End-of-line Rhymes
X: Non-rhymes
Lyrics: The primary rhyme at the end of each line
Colors and rhyme schemes are unique to each section

Rhymes: Section-By-Section

Key

A, B & C: End-of-line rhymes
X: Non-rhymes
Underline: Repetitive lyrics
Colors and rhyme schemes are unique to each section

*For simplicity of analysis, note that only lyrics connected by both rhyme and another notable characteristic (i.e., proximity, placement, melodic connection, etc.) are shown in each table. Lyrics that rhyme but are otherwise unconnected are not noted.

Narrative

Overview

Last Night is a love/relationships-themed song about a toxic, on-again/off-again relationship and the main character’s feeling, and hope, that it won’t end. The relatable, mainly universal subject matter is conveyed in an easy-to-grasp manner using an effective combination of A.I.D.E. principle components (action, imagery, detail devices, emotion) and a balance of common and clever lyricism. The story unfolds logically within and across sections, with all developments relating to one another while providing the story with additional depth and engagement value.

Among the song’s atypical and clever aspects that bolster its impact are the atypical kickoff chorus, which provides the summation before the backstory and further piques the listener’s curiosity to find out more; the song title hook that simultaneously concludes and begins sections; and conveying sexual content in a PG manner that foregoes the need for an airplay edit.

In addition, the overarching relationship/drinking scenario jibes with Wallen’s overall body of work, defining the narratives of notable hits such as You Proof, One Thing At A Time and others. 

Lyrical Theme Trends

Love/relationships has consistently been the most popular lyrical theme among non-hip hop Hot 100 Top 10 hits, accounting for three-quarters of songs or more over the past five years.

Love/Relationships Lyrical Theme in Hot 100 Top 10 (Non-Hip Hop Hits): 2018 – 2022

Narrative Flow: At-A-Glance

• Chorus 1: Establishes a problematic relationship between the two main characters and the protagonist’s (Wallen’s) inclination that it isn’t the end.
• Verse 1: Stanza 1 focuses on the positive romantic and platonic qualities of the relationship; stanza 2 focuses on the negative qualities of the relationship and Wallen’s continued desire for his love interest.
• Chorus 2: Reiteration of chorus 1 in a summative manner.
• Vocal Break Post-Chorus 1: Reiterates the summative song title hook
• Verse 2: Stanza 1 focuses on the breakup and the implied reconciliation between the two characters; stanza 2 introduces a third party’s (friends) negative take on the relationship, and Wallen’s continued desire for his love interest.
• Chorus 3: Stanza 1 repeats the chorus 1 and 2 lyrics; stanza 2 reiterates the main summation while further summarizing the verse 2 developments.
• Vocal Break Post-Chorus 2: Repetition of the song title hook summation.
• Outro: Combines the summative statements from the chorus and post-chorus.

Key

Pers. (Perspective): The character whose perspective is reflected in each line (him, her, both)
Tone: The tone of the line, either positive (P) or negative (N)
Parentheses: The tone or A.I.D.E. component is implied and/or relates to the preceding line
A.I.D.E. Table: Reflects the type of lyricism being used in each line (action, imagery, detail devices, emotion) and whether the lyric is common or clever. 

• Action: Describes a past, present or future physical action.
• Imagery: Describing something or someone that conjures up an image.
• Detail Devices: Enhancing the lyrics through notable descriptive adjectives, adverbs, idioms, metaphors and similes.
• Emotion: Lyrics that describe the way someone feels or elicit a feeling

Choruses

Chorus 1

Narrative Overview
Last Night atypically kicks off with the chorus, which both establishes and summarizes a toxic, love/hate, on again/off again relationship between the two main characters.

Structurally, the section unfolds in a logical, easy-to-follow manner. The first two lines set the scene of a past negative event (last night) between the two characters. Lines 3 and 4 then get more specific, providing insight into each character’s negative and positive outlook on the situation and overall relationship.

Bolstering the narrative’s impact is its lyricism. Each line is rooted in emotion (both implied and direct), with the incorporation of action and a combination of common and clever lyricism helping to deliver the story in a compelling and engaging manner.

Narrative Detail
Lines 1 & 2

• The song’s opening line draws the listener in with the intriguing, generalized statement, “last night we let the liquor talk.” Along with hitting the listener with the song title right from the get-go, it piques their curiosity to find out what happened between the two characters. While the line isn’t inherently positive or negative at face value, it has an implied negative connotation within the context of the story that is bolstered by Wallen’s vocal performance. 
• Line 2 develops over line 1, detailing that both characters said what was on their minds after a night of drinking. Note that the lyric “I can’t remember everything we said” is a notably more impactful way to communicate the scenario as opposed to outright telling the listener that they got drunk. 

Lines 3 & 4

• Line 3 heightens interest by delving deeper into the situation, expressing the negative sentiment of Wallen’s love interest that she likely wants nothing to do with him anymore.
• Line 4 follows with a shift to Wallen’s perspective, detailing his hopeful, positive outlook on the situation with the “down below” summative standout lyrical statement, “but baby, baby somethin’s tellin’ me this ain’t over yet.” Along with setting up the song title hook that follows in the ensuing verse, this statement also piques the listener’s curiosity to find out WHY the protagonist has this hopeful view despite his love interest’s negative outlook conveyed in the preceding line. 

Chorus 2 Development
Chorus 2 is lyrically the same as chorus 1 save for the additional pickup lyric, “I know that.” Its addition was necessary to help bridge the section with the preceding verse and provide a seamless transition between sections. Furthermore, as opposed to piquing the listener’s curiosity to find out more, here the lyrics summarize why his love interest doesn’t want to be with him and why he thinks that the relationship isn’t over despite this.

Chorus 3 Development
Chorus 3 uniquely features two stanzas as opposed to one. Stanza 1 is the same as the other choruses save for the pickup, allowing the listener to easily connect through the familiarity imparted while bolstering the memorability of the song’s main “hook center.” Stanza 2, however, introduces new lyrical content alongside recycled content from stanza 1, which further heightens interest and prevents redundancy. While this is quite atypical for a hit song (most hit song choruses feature the same lyrics between iterations), these new lyrics remain in line with the overarching story and summarizing the developments brought to light in the preceding verse.

• Line 1: A unique pickup for the same reasons as the pickup added to chorus 2
• Line 5: The lyrics “we said we had enough” replace the stanza 1 lyrics “we let the liquor talk.” Note that this ties in with and summarizes the breakup development that precedes it in the second verse. 
• Line 6: The lyrics “but we said too much” replace the stanza 1 lyrics “but we said it all.” This adds heightened dimension to the lyric’s stanza 1 counterpart while remaining in line with the overarching connotation.
• Line 7: This unique line functions to further accentuate the breakup development that transpired in the preceding verse while setting up the definitive statement “but baby somethin’s tellin’ me this ain’t over yet” that follows.

Yellow highlight: New lyrics featured in chorus 3

Song Title

Clever/Powerful or Universal/Generic

Song titles fall on a spectrum ranging from unique, clever, attention-grabbing and/or powerful (e.g., Karma, Kill Bill, and Rock and A Hard Place) to those that possess more of a universal/generic quality (e.g., Hold Me Closer, Like Crazy, Thinkin’ Bout Me).

While Last Night lyrically falls on the universal/generic end of the spectrum, its past-tense, open-ended connotation piques the listener’s curiosity to find out just what happened “last night.”

Song Title Word Count

Two-worded song titles have consistently been among the top 3 most popular over the past five years, accounting for just over one-quarter of songs in 2022. Other notable, diverse recent #1s that contain two words in their title are Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero, Glass Animals’ Heat Waves, and Steve Lacy’s Bad Habit, among others.

Song Title Word Count: Non-Hip Hop Hot 100 Top 10 Hits (2018 – 2022)

Song Title Appearances and Placement

The title “last night” is featured 12 times in the song, appearing in the choruses, verses, vocal break post-choruses and outro. The 11-15 song title appearance range has varied in popularity over the past five years, trailing behind the 1-5 and 6-10 appearance ranges at 17% of non-hip hop Hot 100 Top 10 hits in 2022.

Song Title Appearances: Non-Hip Hop Hot 100 Top 10 Hits (2018 – 2022)

Song Title Placement: Non-Hip Hop Hot 100 Top 10 Hits (2018 – 2022)

Song Title Connotation & Accentuation

The song title Last Night is featured in a multitude of contexts throughout the song, ensuring that it gets firmly ingrained in the listener’s head without becoming overly redundant. Furthermore, its “up top” and “down below” placement bolsters its visibility and ability to connect:

• Choruses 1 and 2: Featured in the impactful opening line, “(I know that) last night we let the liquor talk.”
• Chorus 3: Featured both at the top of both stanzas: “oh baby last night we let the liquor talk” and as part of the lyrically developed song title hook, “no way it was our last night (we said we had enough).”
• Vocal break post-choruses and outro: Featured 2x back-to-back as part of the proper song title hook, “no way it was our last night.”
• Verses 1 & 2: Featured as part of the lyrically developed song title hooks, “no way it was our last night (I kiss your lips) / (that we break up),” respectively. 

Word Cloud