Music Analysis #1 “puppet”
Introduction
Puppet is a song I found about seven months ago while I was scrolling through instagram. I was so perplexed by the interesting production I went to listen to it fully and ended up listening to the whole album it was part of, I really liked how it sounded and how different it was from what I normally listen to. Puppet is the lead single off the 2024 album No Way to Relax When You’re On Fire by Dora jar. This album was her debut and it really caught my attention due to the experimental and weird use of instruments and vocals throughout. Dora jar is an american indie pop rock artist that seamlessly combines electronic elements with whimsical vocals and surreal lyrics. I chose this song to analyze not because it is my absolute favourite but because of how interesting I find the production and vocals choices within the song.
Lyrics
The underlying message of the whimsical fantasy writing of the lyrics is one I find very meaningful and powerful. The song was written when Dora came to Alaska to disconnect from the online world for several weeks in a cabin alone. The lyrics express the burning desire to cut off one’s own strings “I’m the puppet, can you help me cut my thread?” this lyric acts as a metaphor for Dora regaining her own autonomy, pushing back against the industry and manipulating forces within her life. The lyric “all you puppets hanging by a thread” shows how very common this feeling is, feeling like you're a puppet in your own life, puppeted by some force that you let take over your mind. The use of the phrase “little robbers” throughout the song alludes to the manipulative people that Dora let control her and now she is rejecting them she is afraid that without their control she might die on her own. The whole song bleeds the feeling of you're on fire with anxiety and passion wanting to break free and express yourself without strings.
Texture
Texture is an element within music that refers to the quantities of layers of sound happening at once. In the beginning of the song the texture is thin because there is only a single guitar and a sparking synthesizer. Continuing on the drums kick in along with soft wispy vocals and funky guitar licks. As the texture thickens it comes to a peak a minute, in which the melody distorts, heavy guitar distortion takes over as well as crunchy synths and most notably heavily distorted screaming in the background. The texture thins instantly after this outburst and goes into whispery vocals. Not 20 seconds later the thickest part of the song's texture comes in as it repeats the previous peak but extends and distorts everything even more than before. After this the song’s texture mellows out only a few instruments are playing as the song winds down into a pumping beat.
Melody
The melody behind Puppet has extreme range. The unconventional melody throughout the song goes from very whispery vocals to large screaming hits throughout. The melody makes for a earwormy sound especially during the big sonic hits. The melody of the song makes you feel the same feeling described in the lyrics, the feeling of wanting to break free and the feelings of whimsy/passion.
Foley
I know this is a topic that we didn’t really discuss in class but I feel the need to discuss it and how it pertains to the song. Foley is the use of recorded sounds, it could be environmental or everyday noise. The sounds are added to media to add to the immersion of the production like footsteps to a movie or the sound of a gun reloading to a tv show. There is only one use of foley sound in the song after the lyric “I’m a puppet, can you help me cut my thread?” there is a sound of metal scissors sniping. This sound effect adds so much more vividness and visual depth to the song, it’s a great way to make the lyrics pop out and add something unexpected to the background. I found this addition to the song refreshing and unique because foley sounds are most commonly not used in songs.
Eat this music: Dora jars “puppet” is a message to her past self
https://eatthismusic.com/2023/11/20/dora-jars-puppet-is-a-message-to-her-past-self/
Ones to Watch: Dora Jar Returns With the Tauntingly Original “Puppet”
https://www.onestowatch.com/en/blog/dora-jar-returns-with-puppet
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ReplyDeleteI really liked your analysis as well as the song. I don't listen to much indie pop aside from "TV Girl" so it was pretty different, but I enjoyed it. My favorite part of your analysis was how you went into the meaning behind the lyrics. Something I think that could strengthen your post is going over the dynamics as it's own section. The dynamics of the song are one of my favorite parts, with how the loudness is constantly shifting and reinforcing the erratic, anxious vibes of the song, so it would be something interesting to have a section about.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cool song, and I learned so much about the it that I wouldn't have noticed without your analysis. Especially the sound of the scissors in the song after the lyrics "I'm a puppet, can you help me cut my thread?" Adding to that, the explanation that that lyric meant she was regaining her autonomy was good to know, and it helped me to understand her song and the message she was trying to send. Awesome blog post!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard a song in this style, so thank you for introducing it! I like that one of the elements you focused on was texture, as it's the element that most stood out to me in this song. I really like the descriptive words you used like crunchy, sparkling, wispy, and funky, as it perfectly encapsulates the uniqueness of this song. I listened to the song a second time with more focus on the lyrics that you pointed out and had a completely different listening experience. The song is so unique I feel like it's easy for the lyrics to disappear into the instruments.
ReplyDeleteFrom the first few seconds of the song, I immediately love the variety of noises (highlighted and in the background) incorporated into the song. It immensely adds to the visuals you can form in your head while listening, and I love that. I love the vibes! It's totally a song I would dig, and I'm excited to add it to my playlist. Your analysis was great, I enjoyed how thorough it was and how you went into detail on how you discovered the song of choice.
ReplyDeleteI love randomly coming across a song that immediately grabs you! I had the same experience with the artist Toykio Meyers. I heard a small clip of one of his songs on social media, the next thing I know i've downloaded his whole album and listened to it for pretty much my entire freshman year of high school. Your chosen song for your analysis resembles Chapel Roan, Paramore, and Mikayla Geier all smushed together into one piece. The song was a cool choice and has great musical elements to take a closer look at, great post!
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