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Just a Deconstructed

Skip to: Audio/Video General Information At a Glance Structural Analysis Sectional Analysis Waveform Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix Benchmark Analysis Overall Assessment Hit Factor Assessment Conclusion Why it’s a Hit Take Aways

Audio/Video Back to Top

General Information Back to Top

Artist: Lady Antebellum Song/: Just A Kiss/ (s): C. Kelley, H. Scott, D. Haywood, D. Davidson Producer: Chart Position: #1 Country Song Genre: Country Sub Genre: Pop

At a Glance Back to Top

Length: 3:39 Structure: A-A-B-A-B-C-B

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Tempo: Slow/Mid First Chorus: 0:54 (25% into the song) Intro Length: 0:14 Outro Length: 0:10 Primary Tone (Electric/Acoustic): Electric and Acoustic Instrumentation Primary Instrumentation: & Lyrical Theme: Love/Relationships Title Occurrences: “Just A Kiss” occurs 6 times within the song, twice within the each chorus, on the first and last lines of the section. Primary Lyrical P.O.V: 1st and 2nd person

Structural Analysis Back to Top

At-a-Glance

Section Length (Length of each individual section within the song)

Here we see three of the five sections in the song (verse, chorus and bridge) landing quite close in length to one another, with the verse sections and bridge both landing at 0:20 and the first two choruses landing at 0:27. The third chorus is slightly longer than the first two (landing at 0:34), due to the “extension” at the end of the section before going into the outro. Both the intro and outro sections are relatively short in nature (landing at 0:14 and 0:10, respectively), as are both of the turn-arounds, landing at 0:07 and 0:10, respectively).

Structure Timeline (Shows when each section hits within the timeline of the song)

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Total Section Analysis (Total time consumed by each section and its percentage of the total song)

When you’ve got a super-infectious chorus, chances are you’re going to want it to comprise the largest percentage of your song. This was exactly the case with “Just A Kiss,” with the chorus totaling 40% of the songs total composition. This is followed by the verse at 27%, which is still up there in relation to the other sections within the song (each accounting for 9% or less of the songs total composition).

Momentum/Intensity Factor (Evaluation of the intensity of each section within the song timeline on a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being the most intense)

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“Just A Kiss” kicks off in a “subdued” manner, characterized by the up-front piano and backing drum machine. At 0:14 we enter the first verse, where the overall momentum remains the same (the backing music hasn’t changed from the intro), and we see a slight increase in intensity & tension with the introduction of Hillary’s vocals.

At 0:34, we enter the second verse, this time with a lead vocal from Charles. The intensity/tension is kicked up a notch from the previous verse due to Charles’s “raspier,” more up front vocal delivery, live, spacious drums, subtle strings (cello – I assume) and the addition of electric guitar into the mix (panned left).

At 0:46 the tension is subtly brought up once again, this time with the Hillary/Charles vocal harmony that takes place toward the end of the second verse. The intensity peaks at 0:52 with the drum fill (which kind of fakes you out – it leads you to believe that the chorus would directly follow, but it doesn’t). Right after the drum fill, everything dissipates for 0:02, before slamming into the first chorus at 0:54. This type of “pause” transition does a great job of maximizing the impact of the chorus that follows.

The overall momentum remains pretty much constant throughout the first chorus, until being brought back down to the level nearing that of the intro during the first turn-around. The momentum continues until we get to the two high-level drum and guitar “hits” at 1:26 and 1:27 that lead us into the third verse.

The momentum and intensity of the third verse is above that of the previous two specifically due to the addition of the overdriven guitar that is panned right in the mix. The overall flow continues until we hit the second chorus at 1:48, where we see the intensity rising a notch above that of the previous chorus due to the orchestration that is now more up front in the mix. It gives the section more of a “soaring” vibe than was present in previous chorus.

Speaking of “soaring,” at 2:15 we hit the bridge, which is by far the most “intense” part of the song, characterized by the more driving, up-front electric guitars (specifically the one that is panned left), heavier drums, more prominent orchestration and the three-way vocal harmony.

At 2:35 we head back into the turn-around, which is basically the same as the first turn-around except for the fact that it now incorporates vocals into the section. At 2:45 we “swell” into the third and final chorus, which is on par intensity wise with that of the previous chorus. The

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The song “officially” ends at 3:29, with the ring-out (trail-off) lasting for 0:10.

Sectional Analysis Back to Top

Intro: 8.5/10 The intro section in “Just A Kiss” is just the backing music to the first verse of the song (amongst other sections as well), characterized by the up-front piano riff, bass and drum machine. Sometimes simplicity works best, and it’s definitely the case here. The piano melody is exceptionally memorable, evocative and instantly sets the overall tone and vibe of the song. It also functions as an instant “identifier,” the second you hear it you know exactly what song it is. This piano riff melody also reappears throughout the entire song, occurring in the verse, turn- around and outro sections.

Verses: 9/10 The verse sections within “Just A Kiss” are quite strong for a number of reasons:

LYRICS The evocative lyrics do a fantastic job of conveying the sexual tension between the two characters in the story. Lyrics like “feels so hard to breath” (sang by Hillary in the first verse) and “so hard to hold back…” (sung by Charles in the second verse) really make you feel how difficult it is for these two people to take it slow.

VOCAL DELIVERY Hillary and Charles convey tons of emotion in their respective vocal deliveries, bringing the lyrics to life and really doing a great job of engrossing the listener in the song on an emotional level. You don’t just hear the lyrics, you feel the lyrics.

INSTRUMENTAL MELODY & INSTRUMENTATION The instrumental melody and instrumentation used do a great job of backing the vocals, and each verse is differentiated from, and a bit more intense than, the previous verse through the addition of live drums (2nd verse), slight orchestration (strings) and electric guitar (introduced in the 2nd verse, panned left, and additional electric guitar in the 3rd verse, panned right).

VOCAL MELODY & PHRASING Notice the overall simplicity and effectiveness of the vocal melody and lyrics within the song. There’s nothing cryptic or hard to follow, and it instantly grabs and keeps you engaged. Another thing to note is how the vocal inflection goes up on certain lyrics in the section. In the first verse, the last word on both the first and second lines (“me” and “breathe”) goes up in inflection, leading you into the line that follows. The last line of the first verse (“smile,”) goes down in inflection, bringing Hillary’s section to a close.

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In the second verse (the two lines that are sung exclusively by Charles), the last word on the first line (“anyone”), goes up, and last two words on the second line (“my arms”) goes down, which then leads perfectly into the Hillary/Charles/Dave vocal harmony that comes in for the final line of the section.

Notice the difference in the inflection present on the last word (“slow”) in the second verse and (“so right”) in the third verse. “Slow,” in the second verse, basically brings the section to a conclusion (similar to how Hillary ended the first verse), leading perfectly into the pause that follows before exploding into the chorus. “So right,” in the third verse, is more “climactic” in nature, and works well leading into the 2nd chorus with a drum fill as opposed to the pause that was present going into the first chorus.

STORYLINE CONSTRUCTION “Just A Kiss” does a brilliant job of splitting the storyline up to maximize the “duet effectiveness” between Hillary and Charles. You get wrapped up in the story from both perspectives, and their vocal harmonies make their “joint thoughts” have a lot of impact. Here’s a look at how the story is split between the male, female and joint perspectives:

Key: Gold font: Lyrics sung by Hillary Blue font: Lyrics sung by Charles Green Font: (Hillary, Charles & Dave harmony) Bold: Rise in vocal inflection

VERSE-1 (Conveyed from the female perspective) Lyin’ here with you so close to me It’s hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe I’m caught up in this moment, caught up in your smile

VERSE-2 (Conveyed from the male perspective) I’ve never opened up to anyone So hard to hold back when I’m holding you in my arms

VERSE-2 (Conveyed from both perspectives) We don’t need to rush this, let’s just take it slow

VERSE-3 (Female, male and both perspectives) I know that if we give this a little time It’ll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find It’s never felt so real, no, it’s never felt so right

What’s also interesting to take note of is how there isn’t any kind of “interlude” between the first and second verses. Hillary concludes her thoughts, and then we instantly go into the second verse, hearing things from Charles’s point of view. This works great in the sense that your attention is kept in the story, and you get to know both characters right off-the-bat, without any diversions. It keeps the story moving along.

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Chorus: 9.5/10 If there’s one thing that Lady Antebellum are masters at, it’s creating ultra memorable, infectious, evocative choruses that provide an exceptionally strong payoff for the listener, both lyrically and melodically:

LYRICS: The lyrics within the chorus are a shared (vocally harmonized) perspective from both the male and female characters in the story, and perfectly sum up what the story had been building to during the first two verses of the song (the fact that they want each other sexually, but are willing to wait so that they have a chance to first develop a strong foundation built on love before taking the leap.) It looks like they’re both concerned that if they hook up too early on, it may just wind up being a “one night stand” and they’ll never know if they were “the one” for each other. Overall, the lyrics are quite basic and simplistic in nature, but this actually works in the songs favor since it makes it easy for the listener to connect and remain engrossed in the story.

INSTRUMENTATION & MELODY Here we see a shift to a more driving beat and upfront, prominent guitars that do a great job in energizing the section behind the ultra-infectious vocal harmony that’s going on. They work in perfect tandem with each other in maximizing the impact of the section. The second chorus also sees the introduction of strings into the mix, and the third chorus sees the orchestration brought up even further to maximize the “soaring” nature of the final chorus.

VOCAL DELIVERY & MELODY The harmony that Hillary, Charles and Dave produce not only takes the emotion of the section to the next level, but also gives it that “Lady Antebellumesque” signature sound that makes them so unique in the current Pop and Country genres. In regard to the vocal melody, it’s exceptionally infectious and memorable, especially in the superb phrasing that occurs on lines 1, 2 and 5 below (going from F# to A):

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Gold Font: Rise in vocal inflection Italics: 16th notes as opposed to 8th notes.

Line 1: Just a kiss on your lips in the moon-light Line 2: Just a touch of the fire burn-ing so bright Line 3: And I don’t want to mess this thing up Line 4: No, I don’t want to push too far Line 5: Just a shot in the dark that you just might Line 6: Be the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life Line 7: So baby, I’m alright with just a kiss goodnight

What also works very well is how the phrasing is changed up on the 3rd and 4th lines to give some additional color and diversity to the section (as well as reflecting the shift in lyrical vibe to “not messing it up” and “not pushing too far.”) This is also done in the second half of line 6 and all of line 7.

ADDITIONAL POINTS TO TAKE NOTE OF:

The “additional portion” of the third chorus (from 3:07 – 3:17) does a great job of bringing the section to an unexpected climax before proceeding into the outro.

Notice that in the third chorus the vocal inflection on the words “too far” goes up as opposed to how they went down in the previous two choruses. It helps to accentuate the climax of the section.

Bridge: 9/10 Here we see the song being brought to an emotional climax, both lyrically and sonically:

LYRICALLY After all of the temptation and tension that had been building up until this point, here we see the evening coming to a head, with both characters not wanting to call it a night. In the end, however, patience prevails, and they’ll just dream about each other (instead of the alternative). Check out how the lines are divided up between Hillary, Charles and Dave below – it’s very effective:

Key: Gold font: Lyrics sung by Hillary Blue font: Lyrics sung by Charles Green Font: (Hillary, Charles & Dave harmony)

No, I don’t want to say goodnight I know it’s time to leave But you’ll be in my dreams Tonight, tonight, tonight

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SONICALLY Here we see the levels being pushed to the max, with more up-front “hard rock” guitars in the mix, drums that have a more driving nature to them (and have a lot of cymbal work going on as well), and orchestration. Together they create what I would call “controlled chaos,” perfectly accentuating the tumultuous mixed emotions that the two characters are feeling. Very well done.

Outro: 8.5/10: The outro section in “Just A Kiss” reverts back to the piano riff theme that was present in the intro and turn-around sections of the song (plus the verses, but not as pronounced), with the addition of the live drums and the lyrics “With a kiss goodnight” (Hillary) and “kiss goodnight” (Charles). Overall, the outro does a great job of bringing this tension-filled “power ballad” love song to a tranquil conclusion.

Waveform Back to Top

Overall, “Just A Kiss” makes great use of fluctuating levels and compression. The song “breathes” when it should (i.e. verses) and “maxes out” to accentuate the dramatic impact of the chorus and bridge sections.

Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix Back to Top

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Benchmark Analysis Back to Top

Compares the song being analyzed against all Pop songs that have entered the Billboard Pop top 10 during Q2-2011.

Since “Just A Kiss” is primarily Pop in nature (with subtle Country elements), the comparison above shows how it stacked up against the top 10 Pop hits of Q2-2011. The bullets below highlight how it differed:

The song contains a double first verse (though the rest of the form is in line with the majority of top 10 Pop hits).

The first chorus occurs 0:14 (8%) farther into the song than the average Pop chorus.

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The song length is 0:12 shorter than the average top 10 Pop song length.

The tempo is mid as opposed to mid/up.

The song is both acoustic and electric based, where the vast majority of top 10 hit Pop songs are electric based

The song features a piano and electric guitar as the primary instrumentation, where the majority of top 10 hit Pop songs feature a synth.

The vocals are duet based, as opposed to a male lead vocal featured in a small majority of top 10 hit Pop songs.

The lyrical theme is “love/relationship” based as opposed to “hooking up.”

The song is Country/Pop in nature, as opposed to Electro Pop/dance.

Overall Assessment Back to Top

Structure: 9/10 Does the song flow in a cohesive manner? Overall, “Just A Kiss” is very well structured, with each section perfectly flowing and building off of one another. Additionally, it’s interesting to see the variations that they used in the “transition points” between sections throughout the song:

First Verse (Hillary) into Second Verse (Charles): Vocal resolve (the drum machine and ringing piano carry over into second verse).

Second Verse into First Chorus: Resolve and pause (plus ringing instrumentation).

First Chorus into Third Verse: The chorus leads into the intro themed piano turn- around, before having two dramatic “hits” lead into the third verse.

Third Verse into Second Chorus: Soaring vocals and drum fill.

Second Chorus into Bridge: Soaring vocals and drum fill.

Bridge into Third Chorus: Goes into a lyrical based turn-around (piano theme), followed by a “swell” into the chorus.

Third Chorus into Outro: Goes right back into the lyrical based turn-around (piano intro theme).

Production: 8.5/10 How does the production stand up in maximizing the songs impact? Produced by Paul Worley (who also worked with the Dixie Chicks, and to name a few), the production values of “Just A Kiss” are top-notch, bringing this tension-filled power ballad love

12 / 16 Hit Songs Deconstructed Deconstructing Today's Hits for Songwriting Success http://reports.hitsongsdeconstructed.com song to life in grand fashion. All of the instrumentation used perfectly jibes with and accentuates the vocals, and the mix levels are spot on (though I do think the vocals sit a tad too much above the music during the bridge). As far as overall levels and compression go, they did a great job of knowing where to let the song “breathe” a bit and where to push it all to the max.

Instrumentation/Tone: 9/10 Does the instrumentation and sound maximize the vibe of the song? Overall, the instrumentation and associated tones provided the perfect backdrop for this vocally prominent song. From the sound of the piano, to the overdriven guitars and live and not-so-live drums, they all worked in perfect unison in bringing this song to life.

Lyrics: 9/10 Do the lyrics serve the song and jibe with the vibe of the music? Overall, the lyrics are “simplistic” and “basic” in nature (remember, this is more Pop than Country), yet they’re quite evocative, packed with emotion and imagery that really connects with the listener. The storyline is well laid out, and keeps the listener engaged throughout the song. Here’s the basic flow:

Verse 1: The female in the story (sung by Hillary) expresses that she’s having a tough time holding back from hooking up with the male character.

Verse 2 (First two lines): The male in the story (sung by Charles) expresses that he’s having a tough time holding back from hooking up with the female character.

Verse 2 (Last line of section): Both the male and female are on the same page with their thoughts, and express it with the harmony vocal (“We don’t need to rush this, let’s just take it slow.”)

Chorus 1: As with the previous verse, here we see the male and female characters on the same page again (sung in harmony), wanting to take things slow, so they don’t screw it up, because they may just be the one for each other.

Verse 3: This entire verse once again has both characters on the same page with one another, agreeing that “taking it slow” is the right thing to do.

Chorus 2: Same lyrical theme as chorus 1.

Bridge: Neither one of the characters wants to call it a night since they obviously want to spend the night together, but they decide to “see each other in their dreams” instead. (Note that the bridge takes the overall lyrical theme to a tensioned filled climax).

Chorus 3: Same lyrical theme as choruses 1 & 2.

Vocal Delivery: 9.5/10 Does the tonality and phrasing of the vocals maximize the songs impact? Both Hillary and Charles are superb in their respective vocal deliveries, packing the song with emotion, phrasing the lyrics in a memorable manner and bringing to the overall lyrical content of the song to life.

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Hillary’s more “pure” vocal style perfectly complements Charles’s more “raspy,” lower register delivery, and their harmonies (along with Dave), are outstanding, giving the song that “Lady Antebellum signature sound.”

Hit Factor Assessment Back to Top

Memorability: 9/10 How easy is it to remember this song after you hear it once? “Just A Kiss” is quite memorable on all fronts, most prominently in the repetitive piano riff that occurs throughout the song and the ultra-infectious chorus (specifically the phrasing on the two first lines of the chorus – see the chorus section for details).

Originality: 9/10 Does this song have its own unique vibe when compared to other songs/artists in the genre? As far as originality goes in the current Pop and Country genres, Lady Antebellum definitely have their own unique sound and style, and “Just A Kiss” falls right into the mold. No one else sounds like them.

Now, does this song come across as being “original” and “unique” for Lady Antebellum? Definitely not. Lady Antebellum have their own unique sound and method of writing (dare I say “formula,”) and “Just A Kiss” is cut from the same mold, especially in the sense of their other power ballad, “Need You Now.” They say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and this method of writing “definitely ain’t broke” for (It’s sort of like what the Kinks used to do with song variations of “You Really Got Me.”)

Payoff: 9.5/10 Does the song provide the listener with a strong payoff (i.e. a hot chorus)? “Just A Kiss” provides the listener with two strong payoffs. The first is obviously the chorus. It’s ultra- infectious, powerful and memorable, and relieves the tension that had been building through the verse sections. The second payoff is the “dramatic” bridge section, which brings all of the tension to a swirling climax – both lyrically and musically. It’s an exciting section, and helps take the song to the next level – emotionally and sonically.

Longevity: 10/10 (Artist), 5/10 (Overall genre Genre) Does this song have what it takes to stand the test of time? Will it become a staple of the artist’s repertoire? There’s no doubt that “Just A Kiss” will be considered a highlight in Lady Antebellum’s catalog for the duration of their career and beyond. It’s a great song and holds its own amongst their other hits including “Need You Now” and “.” As far as longevity in the overall Pop and Country genres go, again, it’s a great song, but there’s nothing overly “special” about it that will enable it to stand with songs that stood and stand the test of time. I do think it can find some sustainable longevity in licensing, though – it’s perfectly suited for film and TV.

Conclusion: 9/10 Back to Top

The Good:

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The overall craft of the song is very strong.

The lyrics, though “basic” in nature, perfectly suit the song. The storyline is very well laid out as well.

The listener is provided with two payoffs – the chorus and the bridge.

The vocal deliveries within the song are very strong, both individually and in the harmonies.

The song is quite memorable, mostly due to the first two lines of the chorus and the repetitive piano riff that occurs throughout the song.

“Just A Kiss” (and Lady Antebellum, for that matter) come across original in nature when compared to other artists and songs that currently top the Country and Pop charts.

The Bad:

Maybe it’s just me, but the vocals during the bridge (most particularly Charles’s vocal when he sings “I know it’s time to leave,”) sound like they’re sitting a tad above the backing music, and not perfectly blending in. This is a very small “knit pick,” but it did continually jump out at me the two dozen or so times that I listened to the song for this analysis.

Why it’s a Hit Back to Top

Overall, “Just A Kiss” is a very strong “power ballad” oriented song, cut from the same mould as their other ultra-popular #1 hit, “Need You Now.” It possesses all of the key ingredients that a top hit needs – it’s infectious, memorable, very well crafted and unique in the current Pop and Country genres. Additionally, Lady A is still very much in the public’s eye, riding high from all of the awards that they’ve won (five Grammy Awards, amongst others), and there’s a buzz in the air regarding their next album, “Own The Night,” which is due to be released in mid-September, 2011. “Just A Kiss” was the lead-off single from the album. Not a bad way to start!

Take Aways Back to Top

When writing a duet, really take the time to structure the lyrics in a way that will lend itself to the most interesting vocal sections by both the male and female in the group. Notice how Lady A did it in “Just A Kiss” (reference the verse, chorus, bridge and lyric sections earlier in the report). Not only did they split up entire lines between male, female and harmony vocals, but they also split it up by individual words as well.

Changing up the manner in how you transition between sections throughout your song is a good way to add a little “unpredictability” to the mix, and will aid at keeping your listener engaged. Notice how Lady A changed up the “transition points” throughout “Just A Kiss.” For example, the transition from the 2nd verse to the 1st chorus is a

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pause. The transition from the 3rd verse to the second chorus is a soaring vocal plus a drum fill. Keep your listener a little off guard – too much of the same thing could start to bore them.

Introducing new instrumentation to sections throughout the song will help to keep things fresh and also aid in keeping the listener engaged. Take note of the way that Lady A changed up the verse sections (through the addition of live drums, strings and electric guitar) as well as the Choruses (with the strings becoming more prominent in the mix during the 2nd and 3rd choruses). The overall framework of the sections remained the same, but new “color” was added to give some diversity.

You can further enhance the impact of your chorus by instituting a dramatic “pause” right before slamming into the section. This is what Lady A did in the transition from the second verse into the first chorus, and it worked quite well.

“Simplistic,” well phrased melodies are the way to go if you really want to foster memorability within your song. More than any other section within “Just A Kiss,” you remember this part of the chorus: Just a kiss on your lips in the moon-light, Just a touch of the fire burn-ing so bright. Check out the chorus section of the report for more details.

When writing your lyrics, make sure that you convey emotion and make good use of imagery. Remember, having your listener just hear the words is not enough. If you want to make an impact, they need to feel and see the words as well.

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