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Locked Out Of Heaven Deconstructed
Skip to: Audio/Video At a Glance Song Overview Structural Analysis Momentum/Tension/Intensity (MTI) Lyrics & Harmonic Progression The Music The Vocal Melody Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix Compositional Assessment Hit Factor Assessment Conclusion Why it’s a Hit Songwriter/Producer Take Aways
Audio/Video Back to Top
At a Glance Back to Top
Artist: Bruno Mars Song/Album: Locked Out Of Heaven / Unorthodox Jukebox Songwriters: Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine Producers: Mark Ronson, Jeff Bhasker, Emilie Haynie, the Smeezingtons (Mars, Lawrence, Levine) Genre: Pop Sub Genre: Pop/Rock, Electro, New Wave, Funk Length: 3:53 Structure: A-B-A-B-C-B Tempo: 144 bpm First Chorus: 0:56 (24% into the song)
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Intro Length: 0:16 Outro Length: 0:16 Electric vs. Acoustic: Electric Primary Instrumentation: Electric Guitar, Synth Lyrical Theme: Love/Relationships, Hooking Up Title Occurrences: Locked Out Of Heaven occurs 6 times within the song, in 3 sections Primary Lyrical P.O.V: 1st & 2nd
Song Overview Back to Top
Some artists play it safe, and some throw caution to the wind and “go for it.” That’s exactly what Bruno Mars did with Locked Out Of Heaven, the lead single from his sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox.
As you’ll soon see, Locked Out Of Heaven lives up to the name of the album, drawing on numerous influences including Guitar driven Pop/Rock ala The Police & The Romantics, 80’s New Wave, Modern Synth driven Electro Pop and Funk.
Additionally, the evocative love/relationship/sex themed lyrics are cleverly conveyed utilizing religious symbolism, all the while managing to remain relatively clean in nature.
Above all, it was the exceptional craft of the writers involved who were able to pull off a song that comes across so fresh and original despite its influences, enabling it to stand out amongst all others in the current Pop mainstream.
To-date, Locked Out Of Heaven has has landed in the top 5 in 15 countries, hitting #1 in 4 and setting a Billboard chart record as the first single to hit #1 on the Hot 100, Radio, Digital and On-Demand charts simultaneously.
CLIMB TO THE RECORD
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*The dates represent the Billboard week starting once Locked Out Of Heaven entered the top 10 on the corresponding chart .
Structural Analysis Back to Top
At-a-Glance
Section Length (Length of each individual section within the song)
I=Intro, V=Verse, Chr=Chorus, Turn=Turnaround, Brg=Bridge, IB=Instrumental Break
Locked Out Of Heaven contains 13 individual sections within its framework, with the longest landing at 0:27 (the “primary” sections – Verse, Chorus and Bridge), followed by the Intro, Outro and Turnaround which land at 0:16, 0:10 and 0:13, respectively. The shortest length sections within the song are Pre-Choruses A and B, which land at 0:07 and 0:06, respectively (more on that later in the report).
Now – let’s see how Locked Out Of Heaven’s section length compared to the 21 songs that landed in the Billboard Pop Songs Chart top 10 during Q3-2012:
Locked Out Of Heaven / Top 10 Hit Pop Song Averages
Intro: 0:16 / 0:09
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Verse: 0:27 / 0:20
*Pre-Chorus: 0:13 / 0:14
Chorus: 0:27 / 0:27
Bridge: 0:27 / 0:23
As you can see, with the exception of the Intro (which is almost double the length of the average) Locked Out Of Heaven is close to or right on par with top 10 hit Pop song averages.
*Note: The 0:13 Pre-Chorus includes the back-to back Pre-Chorus A and B sections.
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)
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Locked Out Of Heaven is comprised of 7 full sections within its framework (i.e. all Choruses, Verses, Pre-Choruses plus the Intro, Outro, Turnaround and Bridge), accounting for 35% of the song’s total composition all the way down to 6%. As you would expect, the majority of time within the song was allocated to the Chorus (i.e. the “payoff”), with all 3 occurrences accounting for 35% of the total song.
Let’s now see how the sectional breakdown of Locked Out Of Heaven compared to the 21 songs that landed in the Billboard Pop Songs Chart top 10 during Q3-2012:
Intro
Locked Out Of Heaven: Comprises 7% of the total song.
Q3-2012 Average: Comprises 4% of the total song.
Comparison: Locked Out Of Heaven allocated 3% more time to the Intro compared to the Q3-2012 average.
Verse
Locked Out Of Heaven: Comprises 23% of the total song.
Q3-2012 Average: Comprises 20% of the total song.
Comparison: Locked Out Of Heaven allocated 3% more time to the Verse compared to the
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Q3-2012 average.
Pre-Chorus
Locked Out Of Heaven: Comprises 11% of the total song.
Q3-2012 Average: Comprises 14% of the total song.
Comparison: Locked Out Of Heaven allocated 3% less time to the Pre-Choruses than the Q3-2012 average. Note once again, however, that the full Pre-Chorus consists of 2 individual sections (i.e. Pre-Chorus A and B) that account for 6% and 5% of the total song, respectively).
Chorus
Locked Out Of Heaven: Comprises 35% of the total song.
Q3-2012 Average: Comprises 45% of the total song.
Comparison: Locked Out Of Heaven allocated 10% less time to the chorus than the Q3-2012 average.
Bridge
Locked Out Of Heaven: Comprises 12% of the total song.
Q3-2012 Average: Comprises 10% of the total song.
Comparison: Locked Out Of Heaven allocated 2% more time to the bridge than the Q3-2012 average.
Summary:
As you can see, the sections above were +/- 2% – 3% from top 10 hit Pop song averages EXCEPT for the Chorus, which accounted for 10% less time.
Now, you might be asking the question, “don’t you want to stay in the PAYOFF of the song for as long as possible?” In most cases the answer would be yes, but when you have a song where each individual section is equally infectious and memorable, it doesn’t hurt to spread the time allocation around.
Also remember that in this case an additional 6% of the song was dedicated to the Turnaround and 7% was allocated to the Outro. That time had to come from somewhere. Also keep in mind that the vast majority of top 10 Pop hits DO NOT contain an Outro or lengthy Turnaround within their framework.
Music, Instrumentation & MTI (Momentum / Tension / Intensity) Back to Top
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(Evaluation of the intensity of each section within the song timeline on a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being the most intense)
When we talk about a song’s MTI level, we’re referring to how fluctuations in momentum, tension and intensity levels are utilized in each section of the song.
MTI Level Key Points:
Sectional Build & Release
One area where Locked Out Of Heaven truly succeeds is how it takes the listener on a sonic journey via MTI level shifts throughout the entire song. As you can see in the graph above, there are 4 primary builds/releases that take place:
Build/Release #1: The MTI level increase from the Intro through the second-half of the first Chorus which then releases into the Turnaround.
Build/Release #2: The MTI level increase from the first-half of the second Verse (breakdown) through the second half of the second Chorus. The release is quick the second time around, this time going into a quick 0:02 transitional lull before exploding into the Bridge.
Build/Release #3: The brief transitional lull as mentioned above is followed by an explosive Bridge which then releases into the breakdown first-half of Chorus 3.
Build #4: The MTI level increase from the first-half of the third Chorus (breakdown) into the second half of the chorus. Notice that there isn’t any pronounced release this time around, however. Instead, it’s followed by the Outro which has an MTI level pretty much on par with that of the second-half of the chorus (though it’s different in nature as described below).
Different Types Of Intensity
As you’ve no doubt noticed by now, there are 2 distinct vibes that define Locked Out Of
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Heaven. First, we have the “lighter” Pop/Rock “Police” vibe that defines the Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus-A, Turnaround and Outro sections. Second, we have the “thick, fuzzed” synth driven sections that define Pre-Chorus B, the full Chorus as well as the Bridge. Each of those 2 distinct vibes has its own way of shifting the MTI level from one section to the next:
Vibe 1 (Guitar Driven)
Notice that the MTI level increase from the Verse to Pre-Chorus A is achieved by the change-up in Mars’s vocal delivery Coupled with the addition of the quarter-note snare/perc hits that enter the mix.
Notice that after the Turnaround (which is essentially the same as the Intro) that the kick and snare as well as the electric guitar are pulled from the mix, decreasing the MTI level during the “breakdown” first quarter of the second Verse. The MTI level is then kicked back up when the kick, snare and electric guitar re-enter the mix for the balance of the section.
Vibe 2 (Synth)
First we’ll look at Pre-Chorus-B moving into the first-half of the Chorus. There are 3 key facets that take the MTI to the next level, with the first being the change-over to a fast-paced quarter note beat that really gets the momentum cooking. Second, the “fuzz” synth becomes more prominent in the mix, giving the section a more intense, heavier vibe. Last, but certainly not least, is the nature of Mars’s vocal delivery. It’s more “soaring” in nature, reaching for a higher-register that helps to take the overall intensity to the next level.
Next, moving from the first-half of the Chorus into the second half (with the exception of the third chorus occurrence of the song, which is a different story – more on that later), the 2 key facets that take the intensity to the next level are the change-up in the drums (specifically the variation in the pattern via the addition of the toms and BIG hits) coupled with the pulsing synth effect that continues to increase in pitch and level as the section progresses, accentuating the tension before releasing into the Pop/Rock second Verse that follows.
Ultimate Release
Most Choruses (payoffs) provide a release from the tension that had been growing through the Verse and Pre-Chorus (if applicable) sections of the song. Interestingly, in this case even though the “payoff” does occur in the Chorus, the tension and intensity continues to grow throughout the section.
Following the first Chorus occurrence, the tension relief finally comes once the song enters into the lighter natured, guitar driven (Vibe 1) section of the song in the Turnaround.
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Following the second Chorus, there is no relief. Instead the song reaches an MTI level climax in the Bridge before releasing into the breakdown Chorus that follows.
Jibing With The Title & Nature Of The Lyrics
It was very clever on the part of the songwriters to utilize MTI builds and releases to jibe with the sexual nature of the lyrics. As we need to keep the report PG, I’ll just assume that you get it.
Intensity Peak
The MTI level of the song peaks in the Bridge, but note that it’s not that much more intense than the preceding second-half of the Chorus.
Transitional Lull
The 0:02 lull that occurs in-between the end of the second Chorus and the start of the Bridge is exceptionally important within the framework of the song on 2 key levels:
First, it provides a quick “sonic break” between 2 of the most intense sections within the song– the second half of the Chorus and the Bridge. Without it, it just might be too much constant intensity for the listener to bare.
Second, the brief lull provides the Bridge with much greater impact when it hits. Without that lull, it wouldn’t have had the same effect.
Verse 2 Breakdown
Typically, when we think of sections that can possess a “breakdown” nature (i.e. sparse instrumentation, drums pulled from the mix, lower MTI level in relation to the preceding section), we think of the Intro, Chorus or Bridge. Rarely, if ever, do we see it occurring at the onset of a second Verse, but that’s exactly what happens in Locked Out Of Heaven. In this case it provides an additional dip in the MTI level coming out of the Chorus (following the decrease that occurred in the preceding Turnaround). See the Music/Instrumentation/Vocal section below for details.
MTI Level Fluctuation Recap
Intro into Verse 1: MTI Constant
Verse 1 into Pre-Chorus 1: MTI Increase
Pre-Chorus 1A into Pre-Chorus 1B: MTI Increase
Pre-Chorus 1B into first-half of Chorus 1: MTI Increase
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First-half of Chorus 1 into second-half of Chorus 1: MTI Increase
Second-half of Chorus 1 into the Turnaround: MTI Decrease
Turnaround into Verse 2 (Breakdown): MTI Decrease
Verse 2 (Breakdown) into Full Verse 2: MTI Increase
Verse 2 into Pre-Chorus 2A: MTI Increase
Pre-Chorus 2A into Pre-Chorus 2B: MTI Increase
Pre-Chorus 2B into first-half of Chorus 2: MTI Increase
First-half of Chorus 2 into second-half of Chorus 2: MTI Increase
Second-half of Chorus 2 into the Transition: MTI Decrease
Transition into the Bridge: MTI Increase
Bridge into first-half of Chorus 3: MTI Decrease
First-half of Chorus 3 into the second-half of Chorus 3: MTI Increase
Second-half of Chorus 3 into the Outro: MTI Constant
Waveform
Looking at the waveform graphic above, you can easily see how sonic levels and the use of
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Sonic levels are at their lowest point during the Guitar driven Pop/Rock sections of the song (Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus A, Turnaround and Outro)
Sonic levels are at a peak during the synth-driven sections of the song (Pre-Chorus B, Chorus and Bridge).
Overall, Locked Out Of Heaven is a fairly loud song (which is not surprising in the age of the “loudness wars”). That being said, it DOES still provide sonic diversity within the song to help accentuate specific sections.
The Guitar driven sections are lighter and looser in nature than the thick, Synth driven sections, and as you can see in the graphic above the overall levels are lower as well. This diversity was paramount to the sonic effectiveness of the song and did a fantastic job of providing the listener with an exceptionally engaging sonic landscape.
MUSIC / INSTRUMENTATION / VOCALS – SECTION BY SECTION Note: Pan is represented on a scale from 9:00 to 3:00 (i.e. left to right, with 12:00 being right up the middle). Keep in mind that in most cases an instrument will bleed throughout the entire mix, but the pan depicted here represents its primary placement in the mix (i.e. where the level is most pronounced).
Overview As previously mentioned in the MTI section above, musically Locked Out Of Heaven is split into 2 distinct vibes:
Vibe 1: Light/loose Guitar driven Pop/Rock ala the Police or the Romantics “Walking In Your Sleep.”
Intro
Verse 1 & 2
Pre-ChorusA
Turnaround
Outro
Vibe 2: Thick, Synth driven modern Electro Pop with some retro (New Wave) elements
Pre-ChorusB
Chorus
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Bridge
Combined, they make for an exceptionally engaging and unique song that stands out amongst all others in the current top-charting mainstream Pop pack.
Intro (0:01 – 0:16)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Hats – slight reverb – Hats and Snare are furthest up in the mix, Kick is mid-level) 12:00
Electric Guitars (Rhythm – “Police style” – mostly clean with a touch of overdrive, bright in nature – significant reverb – mid/up in the mix) 10:00 / 2:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, Mid/Up in the mix) 12:00
Effect 1 (“Oo, oo, oo” synth effect – primarily quarter note delivery – low level in the mix) 11:00/12:00
Effect 2 (Synth – bright, airy, moderate reverb and delay – up-front in the mix) Pans from left to right and then right to left in the mix each time that it occurs
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and a touch of delay) 12:00
Background Vocal (“OO!” – Up-front in the mix – multi-tracked – moderate reverb) 9:00 / 3:00
The first thing that you notice when hear Locked Out Of Heaven is the “live in the studio” vocal/stick count-off (“1,2,1,2,3”). Clocking in at just 0:02, it’s ultra-important to the song for the following reasons:
It instantly lets the listener know that this is not a purely synth driven, computer produced song. There’s a live aspect to it.
It also lets the listener know right off the bat that they’re in store for something new and “unorthodox” (aptly named title) that goes against the grain of two of his other biggest top-charting hits – Grenade and Just The Way You Are.
It acts as a “unique identifier” for the song, which enables it to stand out amongst all of the other songs that are currently topping the Pop Songs chart (and other charts as well, for that matter). The second you hear it, you know exactly what song it is. I can only remember one other recent case where a top-charting Pop song kicked off with a count, but that one was in Spanish (Hot Chelle Rae – Tonight Tonight).
After the count-off, we’re in full Guitar driven Pop/Rock territory, but you instantly know that
12 / 61 Hit Songs Deconstructed Deconstructing Today's Hits for Songwriting Success http://reports.hitsongsdeconstructed.com it’s not typical “run of the mill” Pop/Rock for the following reasons:
First we have the undeniable “Police” influence of the guitars, drums and bass. This is apparent both in the nature of the instrumentation (specifically the guitar and bass) as well as the overall progression/melody.
But just when you think it may be a straight-up Pop/Rock song, these bizarre synth effects start panning through the mix. Now you know you’re in for something interesting and different. It also lets the listener know that this isn’t going to be a straight-up Guitar driven song (i.e. the Electro nature is established to a degree).
Next we have the multi-tracked “OO!” vocals entering the mix – which add an exclamation point to the section (and will be utilized throughout the song). So now we have an Intro that’s Pop/Rock, Electro and FUNK in nature.
Last, but certainly not least, we have Mars’s “Oh yeah, yeah…” vocals. Simplistic, infectious and memorable – it’s everything that you would expect from him (more on this in the vocal melody section of the report).
Now – put all of these elements together and you wind up with an Intro that is both retro and modern, Guitar driven and Electro, Pop, Rock and Funk, ultra infectious and memorable and overall just VERY effective.
Additionally, also note that the length of the Intro is almost double that of top-charting Pop song averages as discussed earlier within the report. It just goes to show that the Chorus isn’t always the only section that warrants being the focal point of a song. Remember that this Intro also occurs in pretty much the same exact manner in the Turnaround and the Outro as well.
Transition Point– Intro into Verse 1: Seamless – turns on a dime (the “OO!” acts as a “divider,” though)
Verse-1 (0:16 – 0:43)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Hats – slight reverb – Hats and Snare are furthest up in the mix, Kick is mid-level) 12:00
Electric Guitars (Rhythm – “Police style” – mostly clean with a touch of overdrive, bright in nature – significant reverb – mid/up in the mix) 10:00 / 2:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, Mid/Up in the mix) 12:00
Effect 2 (Synth – Bright, airy, moderate reverb and delay – up-front in the mix) Pans from left to right and then right to left in the mix each time that it occurs
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Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and a touch of delay) 12:00
Lead Vocal “Echo” (Occurs on the lyric “spirital” – low-fi in nature – heavy on the reverb – lower level in the mix than the lead) Starts around 12:00 and ends around 1:00/2:00
Background Vocal (“OO!” – Up-front in the mix – multi-tracked – moderate reverb) 9:00 / 3:00
The first Verse utilizes the same exact elements that defined the preceding Intro with the one difference being that Mars’s lead vocal has been added to the mix.
Notice the interplay between the instrumentation. The drums provide a steady groove while the guitar and bass engage in a very interesting, infectious interplay – almost like a “call and response”:
Guitar – 2 chord hit: C5 – D5
Directly followed by:
Bass run: C – D – C – D – C – A – B-flat
Then we have:
Guitar – 2 chord hit: C5 – B-flat5
Directly followed by:
Bass run: A – B-flat – A – F – G
Then they both come together and work in unison in the key of G to conclude the line.
*Note: Reference the Vocal Melody section of the report for commentary and analysis on Mars’s vocals.
Transition Point – Verse 1 into Pre-Chorus 1: Quick drum fill coupled with the vocal “OO!”
Pre-Chorus-1-A (0:43 – 0:50)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare and Snare/Perc – mid/up in the mix ) 11:00 / 12:00
Electric Guitars (Rhythm – “Police style” – mostly clean with a touch of overdrive, bright in nature – significant reverb – mid/up in the mix) 10:00 / 2:00
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Electric Bass (Compressed, Mid/Up in the mix) 12:00
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and a touch of delay) 12:00
Harmony Vocal (Bruno Mars – mid/up in the mix, right under the lead) 12:00 – 2:00
Here the general Guitar driven nature that defined the preceding Intro and Verse sections remains intact, though there are some noticeable differential factors that changed things up (and increased the MTI level as well as previously mentioned):
The most noticeable difference from the preceding Verse is the change-up in the nature of the drums – specifically the quarter note pattern. This works to crank up the propulsion and intensity of the section.
Next we have the change-up in the vocals. Not only has the melody changed from the Verse, but there’s also a vocal harmony that provides differentiation and increased color. We’ll discuss this further in the Vocal Melody section of the report.
Transition Point – Pre-Chorus 1 into Chorus 1: Seamless – turns on a dime
Pre-Chorus-1-B (0:50 – 0:56)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick and Snare – notice that this section includes 2 snares – the one from the Verse and the one from Pre-ChorusA – mid/up in the mix) 12:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, grows from low to mid/up in the mix as the section progresses) 12:00
Synth Bass (Low, thick “fuzz” synth – mid level in the mix) Starts at 9:00 and then progresses toward 12:00
Effect 1 (High to higher-pitched pulsing bright “alarm” synths – mid/up in the mix) Alternate 9:00 / 3:00 in the mix during the section (2 occurrences on each side)
Effect 2 (“Airy” synth swell – starts during the second half of the section – low to mid- level in the mix) Pans from left to right and then right to left in the mix each time that it occurs
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and a touch of delay) 12:00
Here in Pre-Chorus B is where the nature of the song shifts over to Vibe 2 as previously discussed. This will continue right through the end of the Chorus.
The first thing that you’ll notice is that the electric guitars that defined the preceding
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sections are now gone from the mix. In their place we now have that deep-“fuzzy” synth bass coupled with the pulsing higher-register synth “alarms” that are alternating left/right in the mix.
Notice how the beat remained virtually constant going from Pre-Chorus A (Vibe 1) into Pre-Chorus B (Vibe 2). This was essential in order to provide for a seamless transition between 2 sections that completely differed in nature. That being said, tonally the nature of the drums has changed – specifically the snare. In Pre-Chorus A the “perc/snare” was pretty much up front and center. In Pre-Chorus B notice that the primary snare is now up-front and center once again and the perc/snare has now taken a back seat.
Notice how the electric bass changes up during the second half of the section, both providing increased “color” as well as working in tandem with the other instrumentation to increase the MTI level as we move toward the chorus. During the first half it was pretty much riding a quarter-note F delivery. During the second half it follows an A – A – G – A progression.
Notice the swell that occurs toward the tail end of the section, both via the “airy” synth and the “alarm” synth that continuously increases in register, taking the intensity of the section to a crescendo as we enter into the chorus.
Transition Point – Pre-Chorus 1 into Chorus 1: The swells that start toward the tail-end of the Pre-Chorus peak at the transition point between the 2 sections, dissipating a couple of seconds into the Chorus.
Chorus-1 (0:56 – 1:23)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums – 1st Half Of Section (Acoustic Kit – Kick, both Snares, Hats all hitting in unison on the quarter note) 12:00
Drums – 2nd Half Of Section (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Toms, Hats – BIG “booming” hit with lots of reverb) 12:00
Synth Bass (Low, thick “fuzz” synth – mid/up in the mix) Primary 9:00 – 11:00
Synth (80’s “New Wave” synth that occurs around the lyrics “too long” – mid/up in the mix) Primary around 1:00 – 2:00
Electric Guitar (Clean – low level in the mix) 2:00 – 3:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, Low/Mid level in the mix) 12:00
Effect 1 (“Oo, oo, oo” synth effect – primarily quarter note delivery – grows in level and
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goes up in pitch toward the end of the section) 10:00 – 11:00
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and delay) 12:00
First half of the section
The first thing that you’ll notice when we hit the Chorus is that the synth driven nature (Vibe 2) that was established in the preceding Pre-Chorus B section continues on with a few key differences (besides the nature of the vocal melody which is discussed in the Vocal Melody section of the report):
Notice that the snare and kick are now working in tandem with one another, both encompassing a quarter-note delivery. This results in a more intense, driving vibe than what was defining the preceding Pre-Chorus B section.
Notice that the deep fuzz synth bass from Pre-Chorus B is now more prominent in the mix, providing the Chorus with a heavier and more intense, thick vibe.
To counter the deep fuzz synth so that the section doesn’t become overly saturated, notice that a bright, clean electric guitar pattern has been added into the mix, panned right (which is opposite the fuzz synth). This provides the mix not only with sonic diversity, but it also opens it up so that it feels more spacious (clean and fuzz work really well together).
Notice the “oo-oo-oo” synth effect that is panned left, low to mid-level in the mix. This both gives the section color and works to subtly increase the intensity as it goes up in pitch as the section progresses.
Lastly we have the “80’s new wave synth” that is panned right in the mix, occurring around the lyrics “too long” which drops from E to A and then from E to G. This, probably more than anything else, really hammers home the 80’s new-wave vibe of the section (listen to A Flock of Seagulls, early Berlin, Devo, etc…for reference). It also does a great job of providing melodic diversity to the section as well.
Transition Point – First-half into the second-half: Cymbal swell (the same that is indicative of other Bruno Mars hits)
Second half of the section
There are 2 primary differences between the first-half of the Chorus and the second-half, both of which aid in taking the intensity and tension to a peak before releasing into the Turnaround that follows.
The biggest difference that you’ll notice resides in the nature of the drums. First, it’s no longer a straight-up “quarter-note pound.” There’s variation to the beat this time around (i.e. it’s “looser”). Second, notice that up-front, reverb drenched hit that
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provides the section with a BIG, atmospheric vibe.
Next, notice that the “alarm synth” that’s panned left is now at an increased level within the mix, and goes up in pitch as the section progresses. This does a great job of helping to take the tension and intensity level of the section to a climax.
Transition Point – Chorus 1 into the Turnaround: Turns on a dime.
Turnaround (1:23 – 1:36)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Hats – slight reverb – Hats and Snare are furthest up in the mix, Kick is mid-level) 12:00
Electric Guitars (Rhythm – “Police style” – mostly clean with a touch of overdrive, bright in nature – significant reverb – mid/up in the mix) 10:00 / 2:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, Mid/Up in the mix) 12:00
Effect 1 (“Oo, oo, oo” Synth effect – primarily quarter note delivery – low level in the mix) 11:00/12:00
Effect 2 (Synth – bright, airy, moderate reverb and delay – up-front in the mix) Pans from left to right and then right to left in the mix each time that it occurs
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and a touch of delay) 12:00
Background Vocal (“OO!” – Up-front in the mix – multi-tracked – moderate reverb) 9:00 / 3:00
Here the song reverts back to the Guitar driven (Vibe 1) “Police” Pop/Rock nature of the Intro. Notice how it provides a great sonic release from all of the tension and intensity that defined the preceding synth-driven Pre-Chorus B and Chorus sections. The overall sound and vibe is “light, loose and live” once again.
Transition Point – Turnaround into Verse 2: Seamless (drums and guitar are pulled at the onset of Verse 2)
Verse-2 (1:36 – 2:03)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Same as Verse 1 EXCEPT:
Drums: The first quarter of the section consists of just the hats – no snare or kick.
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Vocal Harmony: Added during the 2nd half of the section – Bruno Mars – under the lead vocal and panned 12:00 – 1:00
As mentioned earlier, one thing that you never really see is a second Verse that starts out as a breakdown. In this case it’s just the bass and hats that drive the first quarter of the section along with Mars’s vocal. What it does, though, is catch you off-guard, providing some brief musical diversity from the nature of the preceding Turnaround before reverting back to the manner that defined the first Verse. Without this breakdown, there would be too much similarity between the preceding Turnaround and the Verse, and might cause the listener’s attention to start to wander a bit.
Additionally:
Notice that the transition from the breakdown into the “full” portion of the verse is accentuated by 2 cymbal hits that occur in unison with the C5 – D5 guitar progression.
Also notice how additional diversity is provided in the third and fourth lines of the section, both via the nature of the vocal delivery and vocal harmony (which doesn’t occur during the first Verse section). Reference the Vocal Melody section of the report for details.
Transition Point – Verse 2 into Pre-Chorus 2: Quick drum fill.
Pre-Chorus-2-A (2:03 – 2:10)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Same as Pre-Chorus-1-A
Notice that nothing new is introduced here. It’s exactly the same as the first Pre- Chorus A occurrence of the song.
Transition Point – Pre-Chorus 2 into Chorus 2: Turns on a dime
Pre-Chorus-2-B (2:10 – 2:16)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Same as Pre-Chorus-1-B
As was the case with Pre-Chorus A, nothing new is introduced in Pre-Chorus B the second time around. It’s exactly the same as the first occurrence within the song.
Transition Point – Pre-Chorus 2 into Chorus 2: Same as Pre-Chorus1B into Chorus 2
Chorus-2 (2:16 – 2:43)
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Vocals & Primary Instrumentation & Vocals Featured In The Mix:
Same as Chorus 1
As was the case with both Pre-Chorus sections, the second Chorus is identical in nature of the first Chorus occurrence within the song.
Transition Point – Chorus 2 into the Bridge: The Drums and deep fuzz bass synth are pulled from the mix. Notice that the “alarm” synth is still active and increasing in pitch. A quick kick/snare hit follows with a cymbal swell that leads into the Bridge.
Bridge (2:43 – 3:10)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation Featured In The Mix:
Drums – 1st Half Of Section (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Hats and Ride – Snare and Ride are the most prominent and up-front in the mix) 12:00 plus ride around 1:00/2:00
Synth Bass (Low, thick “fuzz” synth – mid/up in the mix) Primary 9:00 – 11:00
Synth (80’s “New Wave” synth that occurs around the lyrics “too long” – mid/up in the mix) Primary around 1:00 – 2:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, Low/Mid level in the mix) 12:00
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and delay) 12:00
Background/Harmony Vocal (Mid/Up in the mix) Envelopes the entire mix with the primary pan 10:00 / 2:00
As mentioned in the MTI section of the report, here in the Bridge we reach the apex of intensity within the song (though not by much). Essentially it contains the same characteristics as the Chorus (i.e. it’s Synth driven, not guitar driven), but does possess some key differences:
First, notice how the nature of the drums has changed from the preceding chorus. No longer is there a quarter-note pounding delivery or changed up pattern with big hits. Instead, we have a pretty much straight-up Rock beat that’s driven by the hats (which are quite low in the mix) and especially the up-front ride that propels the section along, providing increased momentum and intensity.
The other key difference resides in the vocals, specifically the harmony laden “Oh, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah” which is then followed by Mars’s higher-register, “pleading” emotional vocal which along with the instrumentation takes the MTI level of the song to a climax. Reference the Vocal Melody section of the report for details.
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Transition Point – Bridge into Chorus-3: Quick cymbal swell
Chorus-3 (3:10 – 3:37)
Vocals & Primary Instrumentation & Vocals Featured In The Mix:
1st Half Of The Section
Synth Bass (Low, thick “fuzz” synth – mid/up in the mix) Primary 9:00 – 11:00
Synth (80’s “New Wave” synth that occurs around the lyrics “too long” – mid/up in the mix) Primary around 12:00 – 2:00
Electric Guitar (Clean – mid-level in the mix) 2:00 – 3:00
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and delay) 12:00
Transition Point – first half into the second half: Quick cymbal swell.
2nd Half Of The Section
Add:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Toms, Hats – BIG sound with lots of reverb) 12:00
Synth Bass (Low, thick “fuzz”synth – swells and morphs – mid/up in the mix) Primary 10:00 – 12:00
Effect 1 (“Oo, oo, oo” synth effect – primarily quarter note delivery – grows in level and goes up in pitch toward the end of the section) 10:00 – 11:00
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and delay) 12:00
As mentioned in the MTI section of the report, the third Chorus starts out as a breakdown, providing the listener with a “breather” from all of the intensity they just experienced in the back- to-back Chorus and Bridge sections. This is initially achieved by pulling the drums from the mix.
The second half of the section adds the drums back into the mix, but notice that all traces of the quarter-note “pounding” delivery from the other Chorus sections are gone. Instead we have this slower paced “plodding / simmering” vibe going on, primarily led by the changed-up drum pattern (plus big hits) that defined the second half of the previous Chorus sections coupled with the morphing, swelling synths.
Transition Point – Chorus 3 into the Outro: Brief kick drum flurry.
Outro (3:37 – 3:53)
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Vocals & Primary Instrumentation & Vocals Featured In The Mix:
Drums (Acoustic Kit – Kick, Snare, Hats – slight reverb – Hats and Snare are furthest up in the mix, Kick is mid-level) 12:00
Electric Guitars (Rhythm – “Police style” – mostly clean with a touch of overdrive, bright in nature – significant reverb – mid/up in the mix) 10:00 / 2:00
Electric Bass (Compressed, Mid/Up in the mix) 12:00
Effect 1 (“Oo, oo, oo” synth effect – primarily quarter note delivery – low level in the mix) 11:00/12:00
Effect 2 (Synth – bright, airy, moderate reverb and delay – up-front in the mix) Pans from left to right and then right to left in the mix each time that it occurs
Lead Vocal (Bruno Mars – Up-front in the mix – reverb and a touch of delay) 12:00
Background Vocal (“OO!” – Up-front in the mix – multi-tracked – moderate reverb) 9:00 / 3:00
Directly following the simmering intensity that defined the preceding Chorus-3 section, the song goes out on a lighter note, once again reverting back to Vibe 1 via the same nature of the Intro and Turnaround.
End
Locked Out Of Heaven cuts off abruptly with a “false ending” on a D5 guitar chord, which is then followed by 0:01 of a delay/reverb trail-off. Remember – false endings don’t provide a firm resolve to a song and are a psychological tool utilized to leave the listener wanting more.
Song Title / Lyrics / Harmonic Progression Back to Top
SONG TITLE When gauging the effectiveness of a song’s title, there are a number of factors that you need to consider:
1. Is it unique & clever? 2. Does it stand out? 3. Is it memorable? 4. Does it pique your interest enough to take a listen to the song? 5. How does it work within the lyrical framework of the song?
Is it unique & clever? Yes – both as a stand-alone title and especially when you find out how it relates to the overall premise of the story.
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Does it stand out? Absolutely. Its unique nature enables it to stand out amongst the others in the mainstream Pop pack.
Is it memorable? Yes, again, specifically due to its unique nature.
Does it pique your interest to take a listen? Absolutely, and in 2 key ways. First, take the title alone, “Locked Out Of Heaven.” It piques your interest to find out what the deal is behind being “Locked Out Of Heaven.” Is it spiritual? Did someone do something wrong? Is it something else? Second, when you take into account who the artist is (i.e. Bruno Mars), you could probably assume that there must be some clever twist to it, so it piques your interest even more to take a listen.
Does it work within the lyrical framework of the song? As you’ll see in the Story Flow/Meaning/Timeline section below, it works perfectly.
Title Occurrences: Locked Out Of Heaven occurs 6 times within the song, twice in each of the 3 full Chorus sections. Notice that it’s the last phrase on the first line during all occurrences.
‘Cause you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long
Yeah you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long
STORY FLOW / MEANING / TIMELINE: Locked Out Of Heaven is a Love/Relationship themed song with a Hooking Up premise conveyed with Religious symbolism.
Verse-1 (THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE) Verse 1 sets the scene, giving us a glimpse into this person’s views when it comes to love and relationships (lines 1 and 2). The focus is then shifted to a specific woman on lines 3 and 4
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Lines 1 & 2
Here on the first line we learn that LOVE is something that this guy never really trusted in (i.e. “never had much faith in love or miracles”). Maybe he had his heart broken one too many times and as a result “lost his faith.”
On the second line we learn that because he has no faith in love that he has no desire to “put his heart on the line” for fear that it might get broken again.
Lines 3 & 4
Here we find out that although he doesn’t have any desire to fall in love as depicted on lines 1 and 2, he has no problem at all with “making it.” Line 3 is no doubt sexual in nature, and lets us know that it’s on a very “high level” via the lyric “spiritual” (“but swimming in your water is something spiritual”).
Line 4 lets us know how good it really is for him, specifically via the lyrics “I’m born again.” (“I’m born again every time you spend the night”).
*Religious Lyrics: Faith, miracles, spiritual, born again.
Pre-Chorus-A: (THE PRESENT) The Pre-Chorus let’s us know WHY he’s “born again” every time she spends the night:
“Cause your sex takes me to paradise.”
Not much to interpret there – it’s pretty much self explanatory.
*Religious Lyrics: Paradise (it’s not as religious in nature as miracles or faith in the preceding verse, but it does the trick in Pre-Chorus A).
Pre-Chorus-B: (THE PRESENT) Pre-Chorus-B consists of just one line, but it’s imperative in bridging the lyrical content between Pre-Chorus-A and the Chorus.
“And it shows”
In Pre-Chorus-A we learn that her sex takes him to paradise. Pre-Chorus-B then builds on this, telling us that “it shows.” How does her sex taking him to paradise “show?” Our interest now piqued, we find out in the Chorus that follows.
*Religious Lyrics: None.
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Chorus (THE PRESENT) Here we find out how “it shows”:
‘Cause you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of Heaven, for so long.
Here we have fantastic use of symbolism and emotion. We already knew that her sex takes him to paradise as established in Pre-Chorus-A, but now we find out the LEVEL of that paradise by learning how it REALLY makes him FEEL. Heaven is as “high” and “blissful” as one can possibly get. The fact that having sex with her makes him FEEL like he’s been LOCKED OUT of Heaven for SO LONG lets us know that up until her, he’s never experienced, or hasn’t experienced for quite a while, sex as good as this.
*Religious Lyrics: Heaven. (You can also make the case for “locked out” as well, since it refers to being locked out of the GATES of Heaven.
Verse-2 (THE PRESENT & FUTURE) As with the first Verse the second Verse is divided into two distinct themes:
Theme 1 (lines 1 and 2)
The first 2 lines of the section let us know the degree to just “how good” she is at “what she does.” Line 1 relates directly to him and his reaction, while line 2 refers to a third person. Both are very powerful in nature and are conveyed with religious symbolism that again perfectly jibe with the title “Locked Out Of Heaven”:
You bring me to my knees you make me testify
You can make a sinner change his ways
Theme 2 (lines 3 and 4)
Here Mars does a great job of getting graphic WITHOUT getting graphic – keeping things semi-PG all the while utilizing more religious metaphors that jibe with the title.
Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light
And right there is where I wanna stay
I think it’s pretty self explanatory!
Notice that we have a lot more religious symbolism here in the second Verse:
You bring me to my knees you make me testify
You can make a sinner change his ways
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Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light (note – I think that it’s safe to assume that it’s not the gates of Heaven that he’s referring to).
BRIDGE (THE PRESENT & FUTURE These 2 lines perfectly sum up the effect that having sex with this woman has on him:
Can I just stay here
Spend the rest of my days here
Bottom line – it’s just THAT GOOD. It’s all that he wants.
*Religious Lyrics: The rest of my days (it’s not overtly religious, but it jibes with the religion based theme utilized throughout the story).
**As a side note, notice that the Bridge doesn’t provide a departure or a tremendous twist in the story as many Bridges do. This is more like a summation of what we already knew.
If it was going to be a departure from the rest of the story, the Bridge would have read more like “I need to rethink this – maybe I do want love and a relationship after all and the sex is just shallow without that.”
Lyrics / Harmonic Progression / Word & Syllable Count:
Key (*): Indicates a chord that occurs before the beginning of the line Blue Font On Lyric: Indicates where the chord change takes place (Parethesis): Indicates a chord that carries over from the previous line
*Note: The syllable count includes “stretched out” single syllable lyrics
VERSE-1
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (8 words / 11 syllables) Never had much faith in love or miracles
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (8 words / 11 syllables) Never wanna put my heart on the line
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (8 words / 12 syllables) But swimming in your water is something *spirital
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (9 words / 19 syllables) I’m born again every time you spend the night
PRE-CHORUS-A
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C / Dm / C5 / B-flat (7 words / 9 syllables) Cause your sex takes me to paradise
Dm/A / Gm (7 words / 9 syllables) Yeah your sex takes me to paradise
PRE-CHORUS-B
F (3 words / 9 syllables) And it shows
A (3 words / 5 syllables) Yeah, yeah, yeah
CHORUS
B-flat maj7 / Gm7 (11 words / 14 syllables) Cause you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
F / C (6 words / 15 syllables) For too long, for too long
B-flat maj7 / Gm7 (11 words / 14 syllables) Yeah you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
F / C / Dm (6 words / 20 syllables) For too long, for too long, oh oh oh oh oh
VERSE 2
(C5 / D5) / NC (10 words / 12 syllables) You bring me to my knees, you make me testify
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (8 words / 10 syllables) You can make a sinner change his ways
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (12 words / 13 syllables) Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light
(C5 / D5) / C5 / B-flat 5 / Dm/A / G5 (8 words / 17 syllables) And right there is where I wanna stay
BRIDGE
B-flat maj7 / Gm7 (7 words / 12 syllables) Oh oh oh oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
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F (5 words / 5 syllables) Can I just stay here
C (7 words / 10 syllables) Spend the rest of my days here
*Note: Mars changed “spiritual” to “spirital” in order to make it work within the vocal melody.
LYRIC TYPES This section highlights the types of lyrics and phrases used throughout each section of the song. Notice that some of the lyrics and phrases appear in more than one category.
Imagery, Place & Time Based Lyrics & Phrases: (These lyrics “paint a picture” in your head and establish the place and time within the story)
Verse 1
But swimming in your water is something spiritual (Imagery / Place)
I’m born again every time you spend the night (Time)
Verse 2
Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light (Place / Imagery)
And right there is where I wanna stay (Refers to the “place” on line 3 of the section)
Pre-Chorus
Cause your sex takes me to paradise (Place)
Chorus
Cause you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven, for too long (Place / Time)
Bridge
Can I just stay here, spend the rest of my days here (Place / Time)
Emotional Based Lyrics and Phrases: (These lyrics and phrases convey emotion –either directly or indirectly- enabling you to connect with what the characters are feeling or going through on an emotional level within the story)
Verse 1
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Never had much faith in love or miracles (The entire line has an emotional context)
Never wanna put my heart on the line (The entire line has an emotional context)
But swimming in your water is something *spirital
I’m born again every time you spend the night
Verse 2
You bring me to my knees, you make me testify (The entire line has an emotional context)
You can make a sinner change his ways (The entire line has an emotional context)
Pre-Chorus
Cause your sex takes me to paradise (The entire line has an emotional context)
Chorus
Cause you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven, for too long (The entire line has an emotional context)
Bridge
None
Action Based Lyrics & Phrases: (These lyrics get you into what the characters within the story have done, are doing or will do)
Verse 1
But swimming in your water is something spiritual
Verse 2
You bring me to my knees, you make me testify
Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light
Pre-Chorus
Cause your sex takes me to paradise (i.e. the action of doing)
Chorus
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None
Bridge
None
Character/Person Based Lyrics & Phrases (Including Pronouns): (These lyrics show how all of the characters within the story are defined)
Red Font: 1st Person Blue Font: 2nd Person Green Font: 3rd Person
Verse 1
Never had much faith in love or miracles (Note the entire line is conveyed in the 1st person)
Never wanna put my heart on the line (Note the entire line is conveyed in the 1st person)
But swimming in your world is something spiritual
I’m born again every time you spend the night
Verse 2
You bring me to my knees, you make me testify
You can make a sinner change his ways
Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light
And right there is where I wanna stay
Pre-Chorus
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Cause your sex takes me to paradise
Yeah your sex takes me to paradise
And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah
Chorus
Cause you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long
Yeah you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long
Bridge
Can I just stay here
Spend the rest of my days here
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The Vocal Melody Back to Top
GRAPHICAL KEY Blue Line: Lead Vocal Melody Purple Line: Harmony Vocal Melody Red Diamond: Rest Black Diamond: Half & Dotted Half Blue Diamond: Quarter & Dotted Quarter Green Diamond: Eighth & Dotted Eighth
Flats: B
INTRO / TURNAROUND / OUTRO
As discussed in the Music/Instrumentation/Vocal section of the report, Locked Out Of Heaven’s Intro is very strong on numerous levels. Not only does it function as an Intro, but it’s also the Turnaround after the second Chorus and functions as the Outro as well. Summed up, it’s the first, middle and last thing you hear within the song, so it better be strong!
So here we’re taking a close look specifically at Mars’s vocal melody. Note the following:
Notice that there aren’t any “real” lyrics here. It only consists of “Oh’s” and “Yeahs,” which makes it very easy to remember and sing from a lyrical standpoint.
Notice the simplicity and limited range of the melody and how it basically follows the same progression during both segments (with a couple of “tack ons” added at the end of the second segment). Again, this makes it easy to sing along to and remember.
To completely get it engrained in your head, the entire line repeats twice in a row. Yes, as previously discussed it’s a longer Intro than most, but when it’s that infectious it actually works in the song’s favor.
If it wasn’t engrained in your head already, stay tuned for the virtually identical repeat in the Turnaround and Outro. That should do the trick.
Last, but not least, we have the “exclamation point” at the end of the line, the funky “OO!” This also is a reoccurring theme throughout the song.
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Notice that there are 3 distinct segments to the section:
Segment 1: “Oh yeah, yeah”
Progression: F – B-flat – A
Timing: Eighth / eighth-rest / eighth / eighth-rest / dotted quarter / eighth-reset timing
Segment 2: “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah”
Progression: F – B-flat – A – F – G
Timing: Eighth / eighth-rest / quarter / quarter / quarter / dotted quarter / half-rest
Segment 3: “OO!”
Note: D
Timing: Eighth-note
Turnaround and Outro Variation
The only difference between the Intro and Turnaround / Outro occurrences is that the first “Oh yeah, yeah” is omitted from those two sections and is instrumental in nature. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same.
VERSE
Verse-1
Line 1
Line 2
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Line 3
Line 4
Verse-2
Line 1
Line 2
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Line 3
Line 4
Line Reference:
Verse 1 Line 1: Never had much faith in love or miracles Line 2: Never wanna put my heart on the line Line 3: But swimming in your water is something spiritual Line 4: I’m born again every time you spend the night
Verse 2 Line 1: You bring me to my knees you make me testify Line 2: You can make a sinner change his ways Line 3: Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light Line 4: And right there is where I wanna stay
Vocal Range (Lead Vocal) High: C Low: D
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Vocal Range (Harmony Vocal – Verse 2) High: A Low: B-flat
Line Similarities & Differences
Lines 1 and 3
Lines 1 and 3 are nearly identical in nature except for some minor timing and progression differences. One of the key characteristics that these 2 lines share is the manner in which certain lyrics and syllables are sung to provide them with increased emphasis and to add increased color to the melody:
Verse 1, Line 1:
“Much faith” (quarter note / dotted quarter – goes up slightly in register from the preceding lyric as well: A to B-flat in “much,” then back down to A on “faith”).
“Mir-a-cles” (dotted quarter / eighth / dotted quarter – goes up in register from the preceding lyric: D to the A in “mir,” then G on the last 2 syllables).
Verse 1, Line 3:
The same characteristics mentioned above repeat on the lyrics/syllables “your wa” (the first syllable in “water”) and “spir-it-al.” (note that “spirital” isn’t even a word. He shortened up “spiritual” to make it work).
Verse 2, Line 1:
It’s the same story with “my knees” and “tes-ti-fy.”
Verse 2, Line 3:
The first part of the line differs in nature (more on that soon), but “see the light” toward the end has the same general characteristics as “mir-a-cles,” “spir-it-al” and “tes-ti-fy.” The primary difference is that the last two lyrics drop down to D, compared to the others that only dropped down to G.
Line 2
Notice that line 2 in both Verse sections is also very similar in nature to lines 1 & 3 except for some minor timing and progression differences and most notably how the line ends (which is discussed in the Line Endings segment later in this section).
Line 4
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Now, notice what’s going on with line 4 in both Verse sections. Not only does it provide variation from the other 3 lines of the section, but it also adds a lot of color to the melody and enhances the overall engagement value for the listener. Additionally, it also wraps up the section in a memorable, infectious manner.
Initially line 4 follows a similar progression to the other 3 lines of the section (except for line 3 in the second Verse – more on that soon), but then deviates on the last lyric. Notice that in BOTH Verse sections that lyric is split into 2 segments, both following a G – A – G – A… progression and encompassing eighth-note timing except for the last syllable which is a dotted-quarter.
Verse 1:
“Night”
Ni-ee-i-ee-ight, ee-i-ee-ight
Verse 2:
“Stay”
Stay-ee-ay-ee-ay, ee-ay-ee-ay
The Third Line Change-Up In The Second Verse
During the second Verse, Mars breaks from repetition and throws the listener a curve-ball on the third line:
Progression
The progression is completely different from the other lines of the section up until the tail end of the line (“see the light,” as mentioned earlier). Notice that it’s like going up and down a hill twice, with the first progression starting out one note higher than the second:
1st Progression (segment): A – B-flat – C – B-flat – A
2nd Progression (segment): G – B-flat – A – G
So as you can see above, the first progression starts on A, peaks on C (which btw is the highest vocal register within the song), and ends on A, while the second progression starts on G, peaks on B-flat and ends on G.
You can also look at it like this to get another view:
First segment: Starts on A and ends on A (“open up your gates”)
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Second segment: Starts on G and ends on G (“’cause I can’t wait”)
Third segment: Starts on F and ends on a double-D (“to see the light”) – this segment is similar in nature to the ending of lines 1 and 3 in the first verse and line 1 in the second verse as previously mentioned).
Timing
In regard to the timing on line 3, what you’ll soon notice is that it has more in common with the timing nature of Pre-Chorus-A (“’cause your sex takes me to paradise”) than any of the other lines within both verse sections. With the exception of the lyric “see,” all of the lyrics on the line consist of eighth-notes followed by eighth-rests, which gives them more of a “choppy” feel.
Line Endings
Notice the subtle difference in how each of the first 3 lines in Verses 1 and 2 end (with the exception of Verse 1, line 1 and 3, which are identical). It’s just 1 note, but it both provides variation and accentuates the memorability factor because it establishes a pattern.
Verse 1:
Line 1: Mir-a-cles (A – G – G)
Line 2: The li-ne (A – G – A)
Line 3: Spir-it-al (A – G – G)
Verse 2:
Line 1: Tes-ti-fy (A – G – G)
Line 2: His wa-ys (A – G – A)
Line 3: See the light (A – D – D)
Harmony
Notice that the last 2 lines in Verse 2 are the only times within both Verse sections where a vocal harmony occurs (see the graphs for details).
Simplicity
Notice how the overall the vocal melody is quite simplistic in nature, which makes it easy to sing along to and remember (i.e. there aren’t any vocal acrobatics going on).
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PRE-CHORUS
Pre-Chorus A
Line 1
Line 2
Pre-Chorus-B
Line 1
PRE-CHORUS A:
Line Reference Line 1: ‘Cause your sex takes me to paradise Line 2: Yeah your sex takes me to paradise
Vocal Range (Lead/Harmony)
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High: F/D Low: D/A
PRE-CHORUS B:
Line Reference Line 1: And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah
Vocal Range (Lead) High: A Low: A
PRE-CHORUS A
Repetition
Notice that both lines of the section are identical in nature, lyrically and melodically.
Harmony
Notice that both lines in Pre-Chorus-A are sung with a vocal harmony. During the first Pre- Chorus occurrence this provides additional diversity over the preceding verse considering that it doesn’t utilize a harmony. The second time around, however, it follows the harmony that defined the last 2 lines of Verse 2.
Timing
The first two-thirds of the line are delivered via an eighth-note delivery followed by an eighth- rest to give it that “choppy” type effect (same as was the case on line 3 of Verse 2). The last- third (i.e. par-a-dise) is similar in nature, but utilizes a quarter-note delivery (so it’s not as choppy as the eighth note / rest progression).
Simplicity – Range
Notice that only 3 notes are utilized on the entire line (D – E – F), and for the most part fluctuate just between E and F (except at the start and end of the line). This is the same case with the harmony as well.
The Pattern – Simple, Effective, Memorable
The entire line consists of 3 individual segments:
Segment 1: D – E – F (this is the initial “pickup” into the section on the lyrics “cause your sex.”
Segment 2: E – F – E (this is the “body” of the line: “takes me to”).
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Segment 3: F – E – D (notice that this is a “reverse” progression of segment 1, which concludes the line on the lyric “paradise”)
Now – notice how these segments don’t just make for an engaging, memorable melody. They also do a great job of breaking up the lyrical content as well:
Segment 1: Cause your sex…
Ok, cause your sex what?
Segment 2: takes me to…
Where does it take you?
Segment 3: to paradise
PRE-CHORUS B
As previously mentioned, Pre-Chorus B is where the song shifts over from Vibe 1 (Guitar driven) to Vibe 2 (Synth Driven). Essentially, the primary function of Pre-Chorus B is to set-up the chorus that follows, both musically and via the vocal melody.
It’s Short
The first thing that you’ll notice is that the section consists of just 1 line (it doesn’t repeat as was the case with Pre-Chorus A) and that it consists of just 4 lyrics (“And it shows, yeah”).
Line Segmentation
The first 2 lyrics of the line “And it” function as the “lead-in” or “pick-up” of the line, sung in a monotone F delivery utilizing eighth-note timing. What it essentially does is set up the next 2 lyrics of the section, “shows” and “yeah,” both of which are extended in nature past their normal syllable count (i.e. 1) and follow a descending “platform” progression.
“Platform” Progressions
When you look at the vocal melody graph above, you’ll see that as the progression descends on the lyrics “show” and “yeah” that they basically look like platforms, with each consisting of 2 syllables.
“Shows” (1 kickoff followed by 3 platforms)
Notice that the lyric is broken down into 4 “segments,” each declining in register:
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Segment 1: “Show.” This kicks off the progression, sung in the key of F and possesses dotted-quarter timing.
Segment 2: “oo-ow.” This is the first platform. Both of these syllables are in the key of C, with an eighth followed by dotted-quarter timing.
Segment 3: “oo-ow.” This is the second platform. It utilizes the same timing as segment 2, but drops down to B-flat.
Segment 4: “oo-ows.” This is the third platform. It utilizes the same timing as segments 2 and 3, but drops down to A, and is followed by an eighth rest.
“Yeah” (1 kickoff followed by 2 platforms)
Here Mars initially jumps up an octave from where segment 4 above left off (A to A) before embarking on the second downward “platform” progression:
Segment 1: “Yeah.” As was the case with “show” at the beginning of the line, “yeah” kicks off the progression, this time sung in the key of A and possesses dotted-quarter timing as well.
Segment 2: “e-yeah.” This is the first platform. Instead of “oo-ow” as we had be before, now we have the same thing except with “e – yeah.” Here both syllables are in the key of F and utilize the same eighth, dotted-quarter timing.
Segment 3: “e-yeah.” This is the second platform. It utilizes the same timing as segment 2 except that both syllables are sung in the key of C.
The Full Progression
When you look at “shows” and “yeah” together, you can see how they both follow similar progressions, with the primary difference being that “yeah” is sung in a higher register and possesses 2 platforms as opposed to 3.
Additionally, notice how by starting at the higher register on “yeah” as opposed to “shows” did a great job of building the excitement and intensity level moving into the chorus. If it was the other way around (i.e. higher register on “shows” followed by a lower register on “yeah”), it wouldn’t have had the same effect, being more of a “downer.”
CHORUS
Line 1
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Line 2
Line 2 (the second time around – Chorus 1 & 3
Line Reference Line 1: ‘Cause you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven Line 2: For too long, for too long
Vocal Range High: B-flat Low: C#
Sectional Repetition
Notice that both lines of the chorus repeat twice in each Chorus occurrence.
LINE 1
Segmentation
Notice that the line is divided into 2 segments which are separated by a half-rest, both of which are essentially the same except for the fact that the first segment starts with a C# - D – F lead-
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Segment 1: ‘Cause you make me feel like
Segment 2: I’ve been locked out of Heaven
Peaks
Looking at the graph of line 1, you can easily see how the line revolves around setting up the 2 “peaks” of the section:
Peak 1: Fe-el like
Peak 2: He-av-en
Let’s now see what was done to enable these 2 lyrics to really jump out and soar:
Segment 1
It starts off with the C# – D – F lead-in progression, but what follows is what really enables the lyric “feel” soar. Instead of continuing to climb, it drops down to D on the lyric “me.” This provides the “peak” that follows with much more emphasis and emotion because now the vocals need to jump from D on “me” to B-flat on the first half of “fe-el.” Now, he could have continued to climb and it would have worked just fine, but this way really turned the Chorus into a true “payoff.”
Segment 2
Here we basically have the same story as segment 1, except for the fact that there’s no initial upward progression. It’s monotone D on “I’ve been locked,” followed by the jump to F, then back down to D to set-up “He-a-ven” in the same manner as “fe-el like” in segment 1.
Peak Timing & Progression
Notice that the 2 peaks on the line also possess the longest note duration, further accentuating their soaring emotional nature:
Fe-el Like: Quarter / Eighth / Quarter
He-a-ven: Quarter / Eighth / Quarter
Additionally, notice that both lyrics follow a B-flat – A – A progression. This enables the top peak to really stand out (i.e. the first syllable).
Repetition
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Even though both segments start off in a different manner (i.e. the lead-ins), the balance of both segments are identical, following a D – F – D – B-flat – A progression with the same timing:
Segment 1: You make me feel like
Segment 2: Locked out of heaven
Lyrical Jibing
Notice the nature of the lyrics where the peaks occur. The peak on “feel like” essentially sets up the emotional peak on “heaven” that follows.
As a side note, can you imagine what the line would have sounded like if Mars instead dropped down in register on “heaven” instead of going up? It would have lost all of its emotional value. Additionally, heaven is UP toward the sky, not down. Keep this in mind when you write your lyrics – the register needs to reflect the lyrical meaning.
Emotion
Above all else, the nature of the vocal melody on the first line of the Chorus exudes EMOTION. This was achieved both via the nature of the progression and through Mars’s vocal delivery. He sings it like he means it!
LINE 2
Considering that lines 1 and 2 repeat twice within the section, note that line 2 the second time around concludes in a different manner. We’ll get to that soon.
Segmentation
As was the case with line 1, here on line 2 we also have 2 segments (phrases) which are divided by a quarter/half rest:
Segment 1: For so long
Segment 2: For so long
Repetition
Notice that both phrases “for too long” are sung in the exact same manner (from a progression and timing standpoint).
The Lead-In & Focal Point
Notice that the first 2 lyrics “for too” essentially provide the lead in and build to the focal
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Now – as we’ve seen with lyrics on other lines within the song (“ni-ee-i-ee-ight, stay-ee-ay-ee- ay,” both of which follow a G-A-G-A…progression), we have a similar case in the Chorus with the lyric “long.” This time around it’s stretched out to follow an A –B-flat – A – B-flat progression. Not only is this the most “artsy” lyric on the line, but it is also resides in the highest register as well.
Segment Ending
Notice that the first segment ends on an A on the syllable “ong.” The second segment concludes on a G, which provides some slight variation to a very repetitive line.
The Last Time Around
Considering that the 2 lines of the Chorus repeat in the exact same manner the second time around, a third segment is tacked on to the second line in order to bring the section to a conclusion before going into the turnaround that follows:
Final Segment: Oh, oh oh-h oh
Notice that this is in a lower register than the preceding the preceding 2 segments and follows a different progression and timing:
E – E – G – E – D (Quarter – Quarter – Eighth – Eighth – Quarter)
Note that this progression only occurs at the end of the FIRST & THIRD Chorus occurrences in the song (leading into the Turnaround and Outro). In contrast, the second Chorus has 1 “Oh” at the end (in the key of E) that is followed by the transitional lull before launching into the Bridge that follows.
BRIDGE:
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Line Reference Line 1: Oh oh oh oh, yeah, yeah, yeah Line 2: Can I just stay here, spend the rest of my days here
Vocal Range (Lead) High: B-flat Low: G
Vocal Range (Harmony) High: G Low: C
Repetition
Notice that both lines of the section repeat twice.
LINE 1
Line Segmentation
As was the case with other lines within the song, once again we have 2 distinct segments:
Segment 1: Oh – oo – oh…
Segment 2: Yeah – ee – yeah…
“Platform” Progressions
Notice the descending “platforming” progression similarity that occurs on the first line of the Bridge with the nature of Pre-Chorus B. The primary difference between the two sections is that the second segment in the Bridge doesn’t start on a higher register than the first, as was
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Repetition
Both segments follow the same B – A – A – G – G downward platform progression and utilize the same timing. The only difference is that the first segment goes down one “level” further via F – F.
LINE 2
Line Segmentation
Once again we have 2 segments on the line:
Segment 1: Can I just stay here
Segment 2: Spend the rest of my days here
“Platform” Progressions
Here we also have a “platform” progression as was the case on the previous line, but this time around it’s extended out via 2 monotone natured deliveries:
Platform 1: Can I just stay
This platform is completely sung in the key of B-flat with each note possessing a quarter-note value.
Platform 2: here, spend the rest of my da-
This platform drops down from B-flat on the previous platform and is sung exclusively in the key of A.
Notice that this platform starts on the last lyric of the first segment and continues through the first syllable in the “stretched out” lyric “da-ys.”
Notice that the first 2 lyrics of the segment “spend the” function as the “pick-up” lyrics and are conveyed utilizing an eighth-note delivery. The balance of the segment “rest of my da-” utilizes a quarter-note delivery as was the case with the previous segment.
Platform 3: “-ys here”
Here we have a “quick” platform, where the “ys” in “days” drops from A down to the G, and is then followed by the first part of the extended “here,” which is also in the key of G. They follow an eighth – dotted-quarter timing.
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The Rise
Now that we’ve bottomed out on G in platform 3, Mars climbs back up to where it all began on the lyric “here.” It starts on G, possessing a dotted-quarter timing as previously mentioned, and then ascends up to A (quarter note), finally topping out on B-flat which possesses a whole-note value. What follows is a quarter-rest before repeating the section a second time around.
Emotion
Notice the 2 aspects of the section that really do a great job of taking the emotional nature of the lyrics to the next level.
“Can I just stay…” This line is basically Bruno pleading to this woman to stay. By having the phrase sung in the second-highest register of the song in a monotone delivery, it takes the emotional context to a peak.
The second phrase, “spend the rest of my days…” brings things down a notch as the register drops from B-flat to A, though it does continue on in the same pleading manner as the first phrase. This drop was necessary to set-up the final climb of the last lyric of the section, “here.”
The ascending progression of the lyric “here” does a fantastic job of taking the emotional nature of the section to an apex.
Top 10 Assessment Back to Top
Benchmark Analysis Compares Locked Out Of Heaven to the 21 songs that landed in the Billboard Pop Songs top 10 during Q3-2012.
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All of the compositional characteristics and attributes present in Locked Out Of Heaven are in line with Q3-2012 top 10 Pop hits EXCEPT:
Locked Out Of Heaven is 0:13 longer than the average
Its Intro length is almost double the average
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It contains an Outro where most top 10 hit Pop songs don’t
Its first Chorus hits 0:16 / 5% further into the song than the average
Its tempo is 36 bpm faster than the average
Locked Out Of Heaven is sung with a male lead vocal where a small majority of top 10 Pop hits have a female lead
It features both a love/relationship AND Hooking Up lyrical theme. Most top 10 Pop hits are just love/relationship in nature
A&R Hit Factor Assessment Back to Top
Artist Career Factor: 10/10 (Maintenance), 10/10 (Growth) Does the song have what it takes maintain or grow the artist’s clout in the Pop mainstream?
Locked Out Of Heaven is proof positive that sometimes gambles really do pay off. Prior to the single’s release , Mars was quoted as saying that he’s going to do what HE wants to do on this album. This must have really scared his label and a lot of people that had a lot riding on him, whom I’m sure would rather he play it safe and focus on repeating the successful formula of Just The Way You Are and Grenade.
Instead of going in that direction, Mars gave us Locked Out Of Heaven. This not only went against the grain of his 2 biggest hits, but it also went against the grain of everything that defines the current Pop mainstream, fusing retro, guitar driven new wave Pop/Rock/Funk with modern Electro Pop.
The result is that not only did the song resonate with his existing audience, but it also no doubt won him fans that weren’t into his style on Grenade and Just The Way You Are. Most of all, it solidified his standing as a TREND SETTER in the Pop mainstream and not a TREND FOLLOWER. This is how you take your career to the next level and provide yourself with that rare commodity called “LONGEVITY.”
Originality Factor: 8.5/10 Does the song push genre boundaries and possess a unique nature or have you heard it all before? Does it stand out in the Pop mainstream?
We need to look at this in a number of different ways to get a true sense as to “how original” Locked Out Of Heaven is.
Vibe 1: The Guitar Driven Sections (Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus A, Turnaround and Outro)
There have been many accounts since the release of Locked Out Of Heaven comparing the nature of Vibe 1 of the song to the Police and The Romantics (specifically Talking In Your Sleep). If you’re familiar with these bands then you would have to agree that there is a distinct
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That being said, besides Mars’s vocals (which are unique and all his own), it’s the “embellishments” within these sections that provide it with its unique nature, most specifically the Funk oriented vocal “OO’s!” at the end of each line in the Intro, Verse, Turn and Outro and the Synth effects that traverse the mix as described in the Music and Instrumentation section of the report.
Vibe 2: The Synth Driven Sections (Pre-Chorus B, Chorus, Bridge)
Here the entire nature of the song shifts away from the Police/Romantics Guitar driven vibe over to Synth driven modern Pop. Even though the overall nature of these sections (specifically the instrumentation and corresponding sounds) aren’t all that unique, when you factor in Mars’s vocals along with the embellishments into the mix you wind up with something that comes across fresh and original.
One other facet to note is the E – A / E – G synth progression that’s panned left in the mix during the Chorus and Bridge sections. Its New Wave nature isn’t all that original on its own, but when you fuse it into the section as a whole it provides the overall vibe with a unique spin.
The Lyrics
The lyrics are 100% fresh, unique and engaging, conveying a Love/Relationship, Hooking Up themed story in a clever manner that no one else is currently doing in the Pop mainstream.
Combined Together
When you combine all of the different facets mentioned above into one work, you wind up with a song that comes across very unique and fresh compared to everything else currently out there. No one else is doing what Bruno is doing. Yes, there are elements that you’ve heard before, but more than coming across as a “rip off” they work to provide the song with a “familiar” essence, which in the end makes it much easier for the song to connect and resonate with its audience (as opposed to everything being completely new and innovative, which could cause the initial “engagement factor” to suffer).
Social & Controversy Factors: 9/10 Were there any external social aspects surrounding the release of the song that could help increase its visibility, reach and success potential?
There were 2 key factors that helped facilitate the hype surrounding the release of Locked Out Of Heaven.
“First Single” Hype
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Considering that Locked Out Of Heaven was slated as the first single to be released off of Mars’s sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, the buzz was definitely in high gear surrounding its impending release. His fans were clamoring for a taste of something new, and they were ready to receive.
“This Is Me Recording & Writing Whatever I Want”
In an interview with Billboard, Mars stated that on this album he was basically going to do whatever he wanted to do, and that it was going to either be a “disaster or something incredible.” When you make a statement like that, you definitely take the curiosity and anticipation factor to the next level surrounding the impending release of the first single.
Remember, though, after all the hype and promotion it’s the SONG ITSELF that will need to deliver in the end!
The Demographic Reach / Accessibility Factor: 9/10 Is this a song that’s pigeonholed in one specific gender/age/genre bracket or does it have mass reach?
The brilliance of Locked Out Of Heaven is that it has something for everyone, and as a result possesses a very wide reach.
The Young
Mars’s younger audience who were into the “safer” nature of Grenade and Just The Way You Are, both on a musical and lyrical level, were in for a bit of a shock with Locked Out Of Heaven. Even though he only outright mentions sex in the Pre-Chorus (your sex takes me to paradise), it’s pretty much obvious that underlying meaning of the song is not PG in nature. That coupled with the harder-edged nature of the music might have alienated some of those fans, but probably not many (with the younger fans it’s usually more about being enamored with an artist than a particular song, though the song is still very important, no doubt).
The Older
For a crowd that loved and grew up with New Wave in the 80’s and don’t particularly care for modern Pop (or Bruno’s past offerings), Locked Out Of Heaven is the perfect song to win them over as converts. Not only does it provide them with something “familiar” that they used to love, but it also introduces something new that they might learn to love and as a result become devoted fans.
Style
Again, using Grenade and Just The Way You Are as examples, those who love Bruno Mars specifically for that style of music and lyrical content may have been turned off by his new direction with Locked Out Of Heaven (and some of the other songs on the album for that matter). It probably won’t be many, but it’s a definite possibility.
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Women & Men
I think it’s safe to say that Mars’s core audience in the past was primarily female (specifically due to the massive success of songs like Grenade and Just The Way You Are). Locked Out Of Heaven, however, makes it “safe” for the male audience to really get into based on its racy lyrical content and harder-edged musical leanings. And even though the lyrics have the woman in full control, men won’t mind as much when it comes to sex.
The “Holly Sh*t – You Gotta Hear This NOW” Factor: 8.5/10 Is this a song where someone would instantly call up their friend and say “drop what you’re doing – you gotta listen to this – NOW!!!”
Locked Out Of Heaven is as close to a yes as you can possibly get in this category.
First, as previously mentioned, it was the first song released off of his new album. The anticipation and curiosity factor was high, so chances are that you would throw it on as soon as you could.
Additionally, considering the song’s unique nature (both in relation to his previous hits as well as the current Pop mainstream) coupled with how good it is would definitely prompt someone to call up a friend and say “you need to check this out NOW!”
The “Multiple Listen” Factor: 9/10 Is this song engaging enough to warrant repeat listens?
Initially, yes. It is exceptionally infectious and does provide enough diversity throughout the song to warrant repeat listens. That being said, Pop songs of this caliber more often than not get overplayed to the point where the law of diminishing returns sets in. Bottom line – you get sick of hearing it. After a break, however, Locked Out Of Heaven is a strong enough song that you could easily get right back into and appreciate listening to multiple times all over again.
The “Human Emotion” Factor: 8.5/10 Does this song exude a vibe that enables the listener to connect on a deep, emotional, HUMAN level?
There are 3 core factors that we need to look at when evaluating the “emotion” present in Locked Out Of Heaven – Vocals, Backing Music and Lyrics
Vocals
Bruno Mars does a fantastic job of conveying emotion through his vocals. First and foremost, they’re not as “processed” as some of the other Pop stars of the day, sounding more like a Human than an overly Auto-Tuned robot. Now, couple that with the nature of the vocal melody (specifically the “peaks” in the Chorus and the nature of the Bridge as we looked at earlier within the report) and you BUY into what he’s singing about. When he pleads “Can I just stay here, spend the rest of my days here,” you FEEL the emotion in his voice, and it perfectly
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Backing Music
Just as effective as the vocals, the nature of the backing music, associated instrumentation and MTI level shifts does a fantastic job of accentuating the emotion within the song. It’s all about the feeling and the vibe, and the music most certainly delivers.
Lyrics
The lyrics deal with a relationship and sex theme in an evocative, clever manner. Emotion exudes throughout, and the religious symbolism helps to take it to the next level.
Now – combine the 3 factors above and what you get is a modern Pop song that connects on an evocative, human, emotional level, drawing the listener, keeping them engaged and wanting more.
Memorability Factor: 9/10 How easy is it to remember the song’s lyrics & melody? Is each section of the song equally as memorable?
Overall Locked Out Of Heaven is equally infectious and memorable in every section of the song.
The Intro (musically and lyrically) is simplistic and ultra-infectious in nature. The fact that it occurs 3 times throughout the song (in the Turnaround and Outro as previously mentioned) reinforces the theme and gets it completely engrained within your head.
The repetition of sections that don’t change throughout the song (Pre-Chorus A and B, Chorus 1 and 2).
Melodic repetition within individual sections with slight or no variation (e.g. Verse 1, Pre- Chorus A and B)
The repetition of back-to-back sections (i.e. the Chorus repeats twice in virtually the same manner, as does the Bridge, Intro, Turnaround and Outro).
The “curve-balls” that occur in the second Verse that stick in your head (because they stand out relative to the other lines and are also exceptionally infectious in nature).
The manner in which vocal melody lines are segmented throughout the song makes them much easier to remember (i.e. the “phone number” method).
Longevity Factor – Artist: 10/10 Will this song become a staple of the artist’s repertoire and catalog?
That goes without saying. It’s both unique in relation to the other songs within his catalog and
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Longevity Factor – Genre: 8/10 Does this song have what it takes to stand the test of time and rank amongst the all-time greats?
Compared to many other “run of the mill” current Pop songs out there that come and go with the tide, Locked Out Of Heaven is definitely strong and unique enough to survive for quite some time.
Remember, we live in a time where most artists (and publishers, and labels for that matter) are afraid to push the envelope. They want to play it safe (and with good reason considering the state of the industry). However, Mars put his foot down, gambled, and it paid off. In addition to the song standing the test of time, there’s no doubt that Mars will as well.
Conclusion Back to Top
Now that we have thoroughly explored Locked Out Of Heaven, let’s review some of the core attributes that helped to make this song a hit:
The “Unorthodox” (Unique elements that enabled Locked Out Of Heaven to stand out amongst others in the mainstream Pop Pack)
The fusion of Guitar driven Pop/Rock ala The Police & The Romantics, 80’s New Wave, Modern Synth driven Electro Pop and Funk under one roof.
2 distinct vibes that encompass different sections of the song: Light/loose guitar driven Pop/Rock and Thick, fuzz driven Electro Synth Pop.
Clever Love/Relationship, Sex themed lyrics that utilize religious imagery and manage to stay relatively clean in nature.
The “count off” that kicks off the song.
The “OO!” vocal that occurs at the end of certain lines throughout the song that brings the Funk.
Mars’s “trademark” cymbal swells that break up certain sections of the song.
Exceptionally clever vocal phrasing (“platform” progressions, “ni-ee-i-ee-ight,” “stay-ee- ay-ee-ay,” etc…)
The unique Synth “embellishments” that pan throughout the mix, providing diversity and color to specific sections.
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The “breakdown” first quarter of the second verse.
The vocal melody “change-up” on line 3 of the second verse (it’s unlike any other line in the verse – breaks up the repetition by throwing the listener a curveball)
2 back-to back pre-chorus sections, one that jibes with Vibe 1 of the song and one that jibes with Vibe 2.
The Not-So “Unorthodox” (Just really strong craft techniques)
An infectious, memorable Intro theme that also functions as the Turnaround and Outro (getting reinforced in your head at the beginning, middle and end of the song).
Locked Out Of Heaven makes great use of MTI level shifts throughout the song, accentuating the nature of each section which results in a very engaging listening experience.
The song title Locked Out Of Heaven is unique, memorable and does a great job of piquing your interest to take a listen to the song.
Mars did a great job of eliciting emotion via his vocal delivery, enabling the listener to really connect with the lyrics and BUY into what he’s singing about.
The vocal melody was exceptionally infectious in each section of the song, utilizing abundant repetition and segmenting to help get it engrained in the listener’s head. Additionally, the simplistic, easy to follow progressions made it easy to sing along to.
Mars also utilized clever vocal phrasing on certain lyrics throughout the song that added color, diversity and increased engagement value (e.g. ni-ee-u-ee-ight, the “platform” progressions, etc..).
The writers provided just enough variation within the song, be it in the vocal melody or backing music to help keep things fresh and engaging (i.e. the vocal melody curve-ball on line 3 of the second verse, for example).
External factors including the fact that it was the first single from the much anticipated Unorthodox Jukebox album coupled with Mars’s statement “this is me recording and writing whatever I want” increased the hype and anticipation surrounding Locked Out Of Heaven’s release.
Overall, Locked Out Of Heaven as a TOTAL COMPOSITION possesses a unique nature and stands out amongst all others in the current mainstream Pop pack.
Bottom Line
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Bruno Mars gambled and it paid off. He could have just as easily stuck with the Grenade/Just The Way You Are formula that made him an international superstar on his last album, and I’m sure that he would have found massive success.
Instead, he threw caution to the wind on his SECOND ALBUM and did what he wanted to do. And you know what? He’s earned the right to do it. Remember, not only does Peter Hernandez (aka Bruno Mars) write for himself, but he and his team of hitmakers, The Smeezingtons, have also co-written top-charting hits for other artists including Cee Lo Green (F**k You) and Bad Meets Evil (Lighters). He knows what he’s doing, and he proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt with Locked Out Of Heaven.
Hopefully the success that Bruno is having will inspire other artists, labels and publishers to take a chance and push the envelope.
Regardless, Mars has solidified his stance as a leader in the Pop mainstream, and I for one look forward to seeing how his career and musical direction continues to evolve. I think we can expect some amazing, innovative music to come.
Songwriter/Producer Take-Aways Back to Top
Innovate If we’ve learned anything from Locked Out Of Heaven, it’s the fact that being innovative and going against the grain can really pay off. The writers fused Guitar driven Pop/Rock ala The Police & The Romantics, 80’s New Wave, Modern Synth driven Electro Pop and Funk seamlessly under one roof, resulting in a song that stood out from all others in the mainstream Pop pack. Remember, though, this wouldn’t have been possible if they weren’t masters at their craft!
Clever Lyrics Nothing gets more boring than run of the mill lyrical themes that are conveyed in the same manner time after time. If you really want to stand out, engage the listener and increase your chances for success, take the time to put a unique spin on your lyrics. Locked Out Of Heaven took a typical Love/Relationship/Sex themed storyline and gave it a unique twist by utilizing religious symbolism to hammer the point home. And remember, they were able to do this while keeping the overall tone relatively clean in nature, resulting in a broader demographic reach.
MTI Builds & Releases This is one topic that comes up in every “deconstructed” report, and for good reason. If your song is too “linear” in nature (i.e. limited momentum, tension and intensity builds/releases from section to section), you’re going to start to bore the listener and chances are that they’re going to tune out. You need to take them on a sonic journey to maximize the listening experience and keep them engaged. This is an area where Locked Out Of Heaven really succeeded.
Clever, Engaging Song Title The best way to get your song noticed and pique someone’s interest to take a listen without
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ever having heard it is to give it a unique title. It’s at the very front line of your marketing initiative when submitting your music for consideration. If Locked Out Of Heaven was simply titled “I’ve Never Felt This Way Before,” it wouldn’t have had nearly the same impact. Take the time to come up with something clever and tie it into the storyline in an engaging manner.
Clever Vocal Phrasing At some point within your song, try incorporating some unexpected and colorful phrasing on certain lyrics that will work wonders at taking the engagement factor of your song to the next level. Bruno Mars did this on lyrics like Ni-ee-i-ee-ight, ee-i-ee-ight and Stay-ee-ay-ee-ay, ee-ay- ee-ay, for example.
Reoccurring Themes One of the strongest aspects of Locked Out Of Heaven is the manner in which the ultra- infectious Intro was utilized throughout the song to really help accentuate the memorability factor. It also functioned as the Turnaround as well as the Outro, so it was the first, middle and last thing that you heard within the song. If your Intro is that strong, this is something that you might want to consider trying.
Make Every Section Count Above all, what we learned from Locked Out Of Heaven is that EVERY SECTION of the song was just as infectious and memorable. A lot of times people will say to me something like, “just bare through the Verse, because the Chorus is AMAZING!” Well, most people won’t bare through a non-engaging section of a song and will never find out just how amazing the Chorus is! So take the time to make each section count. You’ll be happy you did!
As discussed in the Music/Instrumentation/Vocal section of the report, Locked Out Of Heaven’s Intro is very strong on numerous levels. Not only does it function as an Intro, but it’s also the Turnaround after the second Chorus and functions as the Outro as well. Summed up, it’s the first, middle and last thing you hear within the song, so it better be strong!
So here we’re taking a close look specifically at Mars’s vocal melody. Note the following:
• Notice that there aren’t any “real” lyrics here. It only consists of “Oh’s” and “Yeahs,” which makes it very easy to remember and sing from a lyrical standpoint.
• Notice the simplicity and limited range of the melody and how it basically follows the same progression during both segments (with a couple of “tack ons” added at the end of the second segment). Again, this makes it easy to sing along to and remember.
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• To completely get it engrained in your head, the entire line repeats twice in a row. Yes, it’s a longer Intro than most, but when it’s that infectious it actually works in the song’s favor.
• If it wasn’t engrained in your head already, stay tuned for the virtually identical repeat in the Turnaround and Outro. That should do the trick.
• Last, but not least, we have the “exclamation point” at the end of the line, the funky “OO!” This also is a reoccurring theme throughout the song.
Notice that there are 3 distinct segments to the section:
Segment 1: “Oh yeah, yeah”
• Progression: F – B-flat – A
• Timing: Eighth / eighth-rest / eighth / eighth-rest / dotted quarter / eighth-reset timing
Segment 2: “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah”
• Progression: F – B-flat – A – F – G
• Timing: Eighth / eighth-rest / quarter / quarter / quarter / dotted quarter / half-rest
Segment 3: “OO!”
• Note: D
• Timing: Eighth-note
Turnaround and Outro Variation
The only difference between the Intro and Turnaround / Outro occurrences is that the first “Oh yeah, yeah” is omitted from those two sections and is instrumental in nature. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same.
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