Sam Smith and Kim Petras' song "Unholy" features A.P.M. (Alternating Melodic Pattern) nano hooks in its verse and chorus sections. These hooks are methodically, strategically, and cleverly employed, serving a variety of important purposes in the song, including heightening catchiness, memorability, interest, and cohesion.
Verse 1
The A.M.P. nano hook is initially introduced in Sam Smith’s first verse.
It features pronounced intervallic leaps of a fifth across lines 1, 3, 5 and 7, with tighter stepwise motion at the end of lines 4 and 6. While the pronounced A.M.P.s are a bit more difficult for the average listener to sing along to, there are a host of benefits for them. They include:
- Providing an infectious splash of color against the more limited melodies that surround them, including the tighter A.M.P.s in lines 4 and 6.
- Helping to draw the listener into the first installment of the story and accentuate key lyrics.
- Heightening structural familiarity and memorability through their strategic placement on the odd-numbered lines throughout the section.
- Subtly foreshadowing the chorus melody, which subsequently reprises the A.M.P. in line 3. This makes the chorus more familiar to the listener when they first hear it, heightening their ability to connect with it.
- Providing the song with an additional unique quality that furthers its ability to stand out among its contemporaries.
Hit Songs Deconstructed and Hit-Scope subscribers can take a deeper dive into how the A.M.P. nano hooks are strategically incorporated into the song by by logging in to your account.
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