Jun 23

Jun 23 Hey Ya!, by Out Kast

“Shake it like a polaroid picture!”

I chose this song for its feel good factor, as it never fails to lift my spirits. “Shake it like a polaroid picture” is one of my favourite song lyrics and makes me smile every time.

Hey Ya! was a hit for American hip hop duo, OutKast in the early 2000s. It is consistently ranked as one of the best songs of the noughties and reached number 3 of the UK charts in November 2003. AllMusic “described it as "incandescent" and “where classic soul and electro-funk coexist happily.” [source: https://www.allmusic.com/album/speakerboxxx-the-love-below-mw0000226528 ]. If you’ve read my blog before, you will know I can’t resist following up on a statement like that, so let’s listen closer to what’s going on in this music.

How do they do that?

“Incandescent” in this context, I think just means extremely good or special, which I wouldn’t argue with. Classic soul usually features gospel influences, an emphasis on the rhythm section, and a large horn section featuring trumpets, saxophones and trombones.

Electro-funk was really a development of soul by combining it with electronic music. For some, it is the missing link in dance music that went on to influence hip hop, techno, house, drum & bass and a host of other dance forms.

What strikes you first in this piece is the retro soul beat and the intensity of the vocals, very much stemming from that gospel tradition. But the horn section is replaced by electronic sounds and the prominent bass rhythm is also synthesised, giving that funkier edge and more modern vibe.

As you would expect from classic soul and from a dance genre, it is all about the beat and that emphasis on the rhythm section is present throughout. If you listen to the vocal line in the chorus (to the words Hey Ya repeated), this is actually a very slow moving melody. And if you sing it on its own, it’s almost a ‘Hallelujah’ direct from this music’s gospel roots. How interesting is that?! A quirk of collective consciousness I suspect, as I doubt the reference was deliberate. And whilst you might think it would sound like a stark contrast to the driving rhythms shaking it out beneath, it actually holds the frenzy together exerting a little control over the exuberance.

Other gospel tricks include the call and response section where the soloist calls upon the “fellas” and then “ladies” to join in the song and the dancing. Which becomes the shake it shake it section. It feels much more like a hip hop dance record now with the vocals spoken rather than sung and supported only by drum and bass. Is it my imagination or do I hear in the beat the sound of an old-fashioned polaroid camera clicking? This part of the song is so frivolous, sexy, and musically not going anywhere and echoes the earlier lyrics in the song perfectly, because that’s exactly the type of relationship the singer says he wants - “don’t wanna meet your Daddy” […] “Don’t want to meet your Momma.”

Just as the lyrics discuss the traditional type of relationship and the desire for something more flexible, the music itself comes from the traditional soul style, yet overlays a modern take on it to create a more liberated form. The result is a stunning fusion celebrating all out fun and freedom.

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

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