There’s a certain pattern in pop music that I started to notice a couple of years ago. I mentally referred to it as the “Fifth-third uh-oh’s”, because it’s the lyric “uh-oh” sung repeatedly with the “uh” using the fifth note in the song’s key, and the “oh” using the third note. Patrick Metzger came up with a better term for a pop music pattern that’s been bugging me for the past decade: the Millennial Whoop.
Rather than describe it to you with words or show you the notes (both of which are meaningless if you haven’t studied any music theory), I can simply show you several examples of the Millennial Whoop in recent pop music:
(I find it amusing that the theme music at the end of the video also follows the Millennial Whoop pattern.)
Here’s a compilation of pop tunes that use the Millennial Whoop:
Here’s a follow-up compilation:
And here’s the song that features the most self-aware use of the Millennial Whoop (along with every other over-produced pop song trick): Andy Samberg’s Justin Bieber parody song, Fuck Off (warning: super-sweary; it even uses the “c-word”.)
And ads have caught onto the Millennial Whoop. Here’s an Uber ad, which I’ve set to start at the 25-second mark. You’ll hear the Millennial Whoop at 0:32:
And now, like me, you’ll never be able to unhear it.
It’s Sunday, and it’s time for another “picdump!” Here are the memes, pictures, and cartoons…
I’m heading to Japan soon, and while researching places to go near Gotokuji, the temple…
It’s Sunday, and it’s time for another “picdump!” Here are the memes, pictures, and cartoons…
If you’re looking to get into the erotic waffle business on a limited budget, there’s…
Whoo-hoo! We managed to get a reservation to visit Yamaha’s Innovation Road museum in Hamamatsu,…
It’s Sunday, and it’s time for another “picdump,” but this is no ordinary picdump. This…
View Comments
I don't think pop music will get tired of the 5-3-5 interval pattern.
After all, it still hasn't shaken the shitty over-percussive beats on 2 and 4. It's been going downhill for a long time, and I've been studying/playing music for 35 years.