While Sugar features characteristics that are inline with many Funk, R&B/Soul and Pop songs that were popular back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there is one section of the song that appears to be directly influenced by the “King Of Pop,” Michael Jackson.

Cleverly sandwiched between the two “Maroon 5 payoff” segments of the chorus (Parts X and Z – “your sugar, yes please…”), Part Y bares a striking resemblance to part of the chorus featured within Michael Jackson’s Beat It.

While it’s not a carbon copy, there are key similarities between the two.

Both Sugar and Beat It possess a similar chorus structure, consisting of three distinct “parts.”  Note that the vocal melody similarity occurs within Part Y of both songs:

Part Y within both songs features an almost identical syllable count.  However, note that if you remove the “yeah you” lyrics from Sugar so that it begins on the lyric “show” (which is the same starting point as Beat It), both songs possess the exact same syllable count:

• Both songs feature the lyric “show” at/near the beginning of Part Y.
• The two lyrics at the end of Part Y in Sugar, “alright” and “life,” rhyme with the last two lyrics at the end of Part Y within Beat It, “fight” and “right.”

Both songs feature stressed (prolonged) lyrics at the beginning of the first three phases.  Each lyric below possesses a quarter note value, and is preceded and followed by eighth notes.

• Sugar:  “show,” “make,” “need.”
• Beat It:  “show,” “strong,” “it.”

Both songs also possess a similar melodic range and follow an up/down/up/down flow to a degree.  Additionally, notice that melodic direction of the last two lyrics/syllables in the first three phrases is the same as well:

• End of phrase 1:  “lov-in” (D – E)
• End of phrase 2:  “al-right” (E – D)
• End of phrase 3:  “sweet-ness” (D – E)

• End of phrase 1:  “funk-y” (G – A)
• End of phrase 2:  “your fight” (A – G)
• End of phrase 3:  “mat-ter” (G – A)

Both songs possess a similar rhythmic flow, consisting primarily of an eighth-note delivery with strategically placed rests and prolonged/stressed notes as detailed above.  Reference the notation for details.

In addition to Part Y within the chorus, some of Levine’s “vocal flourishes” found throughout the song are directly influenced by Michael Jackson.   Prime examples are the “ttt – ah – ah” vocal at the end of the intro, and the high-pitch “oouu!” within the outro.

This article is an excerpt from our Sugar Deconstructed Report. For a comprehensive review of everything that contributed to the song’s success, be sure to read our full Sugar Deconstructed Report.