Weekly Billboard Theory — Body Like A Back Road
“I like all music, except country.” You’ve heard it a million times and may have said it yourself. It’s kind of a close-minded thing to say since I’m sure there’s exceptions to the rules that you/they may be setting, but then again everyone’s entitled to their opinions. Sam Hunt’s newest single, “Body Like a Back Road” fits weirdly into this conversation. Let’s talk about why.
Sam Hunt
Key: F Major
Tempo: 99 BPM
Let’s get the theory stuff out of the way because it’s pretty simple in this song. You heard the same chord progression last week. I-V-vi-IV. There is a difference here, though, because it’s very syncopated this time. We barely get any time on that IV chord. Sad! Instead of just repeating those chords over again we do get a little tag at the end to help outline the tonic with a I-V-I progression. The rest of the song is pretty pentatonic. Really nothing out of the ordinary here. What really makes this song interesting is where it stands within a genre.
Apparently this is a thing with Sam Hunt, this song isn’t just straight “country.” I can’t say that I’m an expert on country music by any stretch, especially because my growing up in the 90s with country music meant Garth Brooks and Shania Twain. These artists are very different from the origins of country as well, so what defines “Body Like A Back Road” as a country song? To my ear, the most noticeable aspect of this is how Sam Hunt sings. Country music is pretty much the only form of modern music where a male voice doesn’t have to be a tenor. Sure, there are exceptions but virtually all pop and rock songs are pretty high up there as far as vocal range goes. From my experience, country often allows (and even seems to favor) a deeper male voice. Is this representative of a culture trying to grasp to an outdated idea of what masculinity is? Who knows! But Sam Hunt’s range in “Body Like A Back Road” definitely falls in line with what a country singer tends to be. Also, sorry that I’m not using a lot of absolutes here. I’ll reiterate that I’m no country expert. Okay, let’s keep going.
So, his voice is “country” I guess. Does anything else in this song match the genre? Those little “hey”s in the background don’t, that’s for sure. Also, that chord progression isn’t exclusive to any type of music, that’s for dang sure. Could it be the instrumentation? I mean, kind of. It’s primarily guitar and what appears to be some type of organ or keyboard. However, these can be found in rock and pop music as well. What else is there? Lyrics? They fall in line with country music sure, but that “got hips like honey, so thick and sweet” reminds me of Lupe Fiasco’s verse on Touch The Sky, “Bottle shaped body like Mrs. Butterworth.” Maybe that’s a stretch and I just wanted to use that quote. Still, maybe the playful lyrics add to the entire ~vibe~ of this song and that’s what helps solidify it as country music.
Probably the coolest thing about country music is that it seems like these artists have fun! That needed an exclamation point because this is important. Other than Chance the Rapper, it seems that no one ever smiles. They’re too ~deep~ and ~cool~ and ~artsy~. Country music doesn’t seem that way to me. These artists aren’t ashamed to write songs with simple concepts because they understand that there is enjoyment in the simple things in life. Things can just be. There doesn’t always have to be some deeper meaning to unearth. Yes, I understand the irony of me typing this right now. Perhaps it is this simplicity that makes this song “country.” PERHAPS that’s what makes this an alright song. Also, the fact that it’s 2:45 long doesn’t hurt.
I know this was a short one, but it’s a short song! There’s also not too much there and I’m also working a ton before leaving for another tour so DEAL WITH IT. Looking on to next week and the top three are the same with Bieber, Bieber and Bruno. Fortunately, we have a new contender at number 4 with DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts.” I know technically DJ Khaled is at number two with “I’m The One” but I still don’t understand his contribution. IRREGARDLESS! We’ll see what I think of “Wild Thoughts” next week!
