Sep 30

Sep 30 Sucker, by The Jonas Brothers

Everything feels better when we pause for a moment

This song selection came as the nausea of chemo round 2 was beginning to engulf my friend and I hoped it would cheer them just a little. Released in March 2019, I felt like I was “getting down with the kids” with this one, but I think it’s timeless and would have been great whenever it was created. For me, it’s one of those songs where you just have to stop what you’re doing for a moment, listen and sing-a-long.

How do they do that?

So what is so arresting about this song that you have to give it your attention? I am going to talk about the way it is punctuated with musical breaks. By this I mean moments in the music where there is complete silence, perhaps only for half a beat, but where it all stops.

The most obvious pause is between the break and the chorus, where there is a full beat rest in all parts just before the words, “I’m a sucker for you.” Rests in individual parts are not unusual, of course, but when it happens across all instruments at the same instant, that moment of silence is really significant. Our ears don’t seem to expect it, so the effect is to make us listen more intently. It also creates a sense of anticipation, so that we want to know what will happen next.

A slightly unsettled feel dominates the verses, both in its choppy rhythm and the limited range of notes used in the vocal. There are hesitations in all the parts occurring all the way through this section (most clearly heard in the opening verse where the instrumentation is paired back to just bass and very light percussion). This, combined with the musical break, makes the breakthrough of the chorus that much more rewarding, with its contrasting smoothness and free-flowing melody. Smooth in its flow, but also smooth as in super-cool. Then we are stopped again at the end of the chorus and, having just got into the flow of the music, the break is even more unexpected. Or, once you know the song, it is the moment you find yourself listening out for - the moment of silence rather than the music - strange, isn’t it? The song holds us back, makes us wait, then doesn’t disappoint as it gets going again and sets us free.

Hope you enjoy it or feel inspired to listen to something new today.

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