Instrumentation: Vocals (Eve), beats (drum kit, trumpet, piano, and electric guitar riffs , and electronic beats – even “laser” sound effects)
Form: This song is presented in strophic form – Eve raps during the verse, while Mashonda sings a melodic refrain during the chorus. This is a definite departure from Bahamadi’s continuous rapping: so perhaps this shows rap’s evolution, through the incorporation of aspects of pop.
Rhythm: Once again, rhythm (and the way in which it is layered) is the primary aspect of the song. Interestingly, while the song’s beat is not that different from the previous song, the attitudes are completely different.
Lyrics: In comparison to the lyrics in “When I Shine”, these lyrics are much less cohesive. While there’s a clearer division between verses and choruses, there seems to be a weird disconnect between the two. For example, I don’t really understand why Eve is rapping typical bravado/challenge lyrics in the verses, and then about partying in the rain during the chorus. Overall, this seems to speak to the song’s nature as a “party song”, not a “message song”: it seems that this song is almost purely aesthetic, for a good groove beat and the ‘good time’ feeling it evokes.
Texture: Once again, the song’s texture seems very multifaceted, due to the many different beats. Overall, the song is very highly pitched – due to the women’s voices (especially Mashonda’s singing voice) and the trumpet, piano, and electric guitar riffs’ high ranges – which becomes grating after many listens. Eve’s vocal quality is more percussive and punchy, which comes across as sassier and happier (especially due to her added chuckles and “yeah”s). As for the chorus, Mashonda’s vocal quality I find very whiny, not always on pitch, and near unbearable to listen to.
Personal Response: While I don’t really enjoy this song that much either (although I’m not sure how much of that is due to my disinterest in rap as a genre or my extreme dislike for Mashonda’s whiny-sounding chorus), I find it to be much more accessible than Bahamadia’s song. Eve’s fiery delivery seems less detached than Bahamadia’s smooth but distanced delivery, and thus engages the listener and makes it something they’d listen to again. I also really think that the establishment of an actual chorus (as painful as it is) makes the song more accessible to listeners, as it creates a sort of ‘home’ that the song returns to that the listener can easily identify. However, I also think that lyrically this song leaves a lot to be desired. Overall, I think this song is an aesthetic song – something that people put on to simply enjoy, without necessarily having to totally engage in (and question). This is not necessarily a bad thing (aesthetics have their own unique merit) – but I think that the comparison between this and the last song demonstrate rap’s movement into mainstream music, and the changes (and even sacrifices) it made to get there. So I understand when people complain about the ‘dumbing down’ or ‘cheapening’ or rap music. I guess I also expected a little bit more out of Eve – as a woman in rap, she probably had to work pretty hard to gain respect and attention as a rap artist: but I don’t think this song really demonstrates that much talent or creativity. While she shouldn’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for seriousness, or respect for success, I think she had (or has) a ways to go in finding a successful intersection of the issues affecting women in rap.
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