Last week (June 17, 2023), Miley Cyrus’ Flowers became the longest running #1 hit by a female artist in Billboard Radio Songs chart history, with 17 weeks at the top.
Co-written by Cyrus, ALDAE and Michael Pollack and produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, Flowers’ overarching strength is that each component effectively serves the song, the artist and the marketplace, otherwise known as Hit Songs Deconstructed’s S.A.M. principle.
Lyrically, Flowers alludes to Cyrus’ failed marriage to Liam Hemsworth and her ability to emerge self-loving and self-empowered. Not only did this create intrigue for her fans, but her personal connection with the subject matter heightened her ability to deliver the song in a compelling and believable manner. Furthermore, the way the vocal melody expertly unfolds with varying ranges, directions, and rhythms across sections heightens interest and enhances the listener’s emotional connection with the lyrics.
Musically, the song’s use of strings, four-on-the-floor kick, and electric bass pattern impart a funk and disco vibe that harkens back to 1970s disco classics such as Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive. This is complemented by other 1970s qualities such as the mellow, flange timbre of the keys and guitar and the processing on the post-chorus vocal, which along with Cyrus’ at times husky, raspy vocal performance provides an underlying early to mid-1970s soft-rock sound reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac and Carol King. These throwback qualities, effectively balanced by the song’s more modern pop qualities, enabled Flowers to both sound both familiar and unique compared to many of its mainstream contemporaries.
The song’s strategic and methodical hook arrangement takes its catchiness to a whole new level - but without becoming overly redundant. Among them are strategically placed "up top" and "down below" summative vocal hooks in the chorus, repetition of the empowering "I can love me better" hook in the post-chorus, the inclusion of a vocal/instrumental call and response "nano" hook in the second verse, and a foundational bass hook that serves as a catchy, cohesive thread throughout much of the song.
I = Intro | A = Verse | PC = Pre-Chorus | B = Chorus | VB = Vocal Break | PST = Post-Chorus | "D" = Departure | O = Outro
Number: Denotes the number of times that a particular hook/motif appears within a section
All in all, Flowers’ ability to connect on such a wide and profound scale is a testament to the song’s writers and producers. In addition to making Billboard Radio Song Chart history, the song has hit the Top 10 on over 75 charts throughout the world and peaked at #1 on close to 50.
Subscribers can read a full section-by-section analysis of Flowers here.
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A deconstruction of the compositional characteristics that are unique to #1 hits.
This report analyzes the compositional characteristics of songs that remain in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 or more weeks compared to those that chart for nine weeks or less.
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