Music Analysis #2
Bad Habit by Steve Lacy was my favorite song of 2022. This one song got me to listen to the rest of his discography. I would now consider myself a fairly big Steve Lacy fan. Some other songs of his that I really enjoy include N side, static, and Infrunami. I remember watching the grammys that same year only for Bad Habit to be snubbed by a song neither my friends or I had ever heard before.
The melody of this song is very smooth and repetitive. You can see this quite clearly in the chorus with the central lyric of “I wish I knew”. The melody is very relaxed, almost feeling conversational. I think the melody of this song really drew me in as a listener. It is very catchy and a borderline ear-worm that I could not get out of my head for days.
The song also has a moderate tempo Which I think serves the song greatly. If the song was paced any slower or faster I believe that it would greatly affect the song in both tone and feel. This moderate tempo suits the relaxed reflective nature of the song perfectly and I would hate to see it any other way. The tempo also helps to give the song a calm comforting feeling to the listener.
The song also features a funky groove that is provided by syncopation between the guitar and the bass. I found that this keeps me interested in the Rhythm and also adds movement to the song. (I’ve recently taken a swing at learning the guitar parts of this song and have failed spectacularly). The Rhythm makes me want to get up and walk around like Lacy does in the music video.
The texture of this song is also relatively smooth. There are not a lot of conflicting sounds making the structure feel minimalist and reflective. I think this fits the song well as a sharp or thick texture would ruin the whole vibe of the song. I personally like this and think the smoothness of the texture directs the listener to the vocals of Steve lacy better. It definitely helped me to focus on what Steve Lacy was saying.
Speaking of Steve Lacy’s vocals, his vocals have a clear chilled timbre. Giving the song an almost conversational feeling. This makes the song lyrics very easy to understand and remember. The clearness of the vocals gives the song a dated feel of something from a bygone decade (probably like the 90’s or late 80’s).
Overall, I really enjoyed this song. I would recommend you listen to it.
-Jaxon Foster
Folk, Antwane. “Steve Lacy’s ‘bad Habit’ Enters Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100.” Rated R&B, 8 Aug. 2022, ratedrnb.com/2022/08/steve-lacy-bad-habit-enters-top-10-on-billboard-hot-100/.
“Steve Lacy - Bad Habit (Official Video).” YouTube, youtu.be/VF-FGf_ZZiI?si=oEm4_U1ZsWtL2GC8. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Maicki, Salvatore. “Steve Lacy Unveils the Cover Art for His Debut Album Apollo XXI.” The FADER, The FADER, 15 May 2019, www.thefader.com/2019/05/15/steve-lacy-solo-album-apollo-xxi.
I love this song! I love how at one point in the song the instruments stop playing but his singing is like an instrument and carrying its melody until the music fades back in.
ReplyDeleteThis song stays with me for days after I hear it. I remember for about a week straight I would just randomly blurt out "I WISH I KNEW YOU WANTED ME!" Lol
ReplyDeleteHi Jaxon! I agree this song is really great. One of my favorite things about it is the melancholic overtone of the lyrics with the seemingly happy accompaniment. Obviously he is sad that he didn't make a move with this girl, but the pulse of the song makes it seem like maybe it's not so bad. I know you mentioned that you have tried to learn the guitar for this song. Have you heard this version? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm1vmJ2ZbxM It's without any instrumentation other than the guitar plus the vocals. I actually think I might like it more than the original and maybe it could inspire you to keep working on the guitar! :)
ReplyDeleteI really like this song too and listened to it quite a bit a couple of years ago. I agree with you about the melody, I find it relaxing and conversational as well, and I also think it is what made me first like this song. I think you should try listening to “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar as it has a similar vibe and laid-back feel to the song you analyzed.
ReplyDeleteI love your passion for Bad Habit and Steve Lacy’s music! It’s amazing how one song can open the door to discovering an entire artist’s catalog, and I can tell how much this track resonated with you. Your breakdown of the melody being smooth and conversational really captures what makes the song so addictive. Great job!
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