One of the greatest Internet finds for me in 2020 has been the podcast Song Exploder, which features insightful discussions with artists and producers/collaborators about how they made their hit songs. Now, they’ve made Song Exploder into a show on Netflix, with four episodes showing the making of four hit songs from Alicia Keys, R.E.M., Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ty Dolla $ign.
I’m often amazed how carefully constructed songs are, with layers of instruments that the average person doesn’t really hear in the final mix of the track. And, how the writing process is often so spontaneous – catalyzed by laying down a piano melody or experimenting with a new synth beat – that an artist or producer starts spitballing over or riffing off of. If you enjoyed watching the song creation parts of Miss Americana (Taylor Swift) or Gaga: Five Foot Two (Lady Gaga) – you’ll enjoy Song Exploder.
My favourite episode features R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”, which as their members say is the “The first single to feature a mandolin.” One cool thing host and creator Hrishikesh Hirwa does, is peel back the layers (or stems) of the song – isolating the vocals, backing vocals, drums, bass, or strings – and showcasing those to the artist to discuss. The artists often get a bit uncomfortable with the isolated vocals (I got second-hand embarrassment watching Michael Stipe react), but they allow Hirwa to delve into a discussion of the lyrical meaning of the songs and how they ended up the way they did. This is particularly interesting with “Losing My Religion”, where, as Michael Stipe explains, “that’s me in the spotlight” was once a more hum-drum “that’s me in the kitchen.”
Another episode focuses on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Wait for It” from the musical Hamilton. This episode was interesting to me for how it showcases how Musical Director, Alex Lacamoire, evolves Lin-Manuel’s demo track into a live, ensemble vocal. Particularly, how they used vocal layering and timing to craft textured echo element throughout the song, and intentionally delayed the delivery of the final lyric of “Wait for It” to mirror the theme of the song.
Definitely give-it-a-go if you’re interested in learning more about music. I know so very little about the technical creation of songs, that it’s incredibly interesting to delve in and really appreciate both the art and the science of this process. And, if you like the show, I strongly recommend checking out the podcast, which features over 190 songs with artists and producers, including Bon Iver, Clairo, Mitski, CHVRCHES and more. Plus, Hrishikesh Hirwa’s voice is relaxing as hell.
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