All Posts Tagged Alternative Hip Hop

The chorus vocal melody to Wiz Khalifa's See You Again (released March 17, 2015), which features Charile Puth, is similar to the verse vocal melody to Bonnie Raitt's signature ballad I Can't Make You Love Me (released October 21, 1991, and written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin). Both songs are in the key of Bb major, and have similar progressions and diatonic melodies that begin on the downbeat with the sixth degree of the root scale, followed by the fifth degree, and descending in the second phrase (SEE below).

See You Again (:10) VS I Can't Make You Love Me (:33)

See You Again
Key: Bb major
Chord Progression (chorus):
Gminor, Bb, Eb, Bb (vi-I-IV-I)
Vocal Melody:
[1-3-5 ("It's been a")]
6-5-6 ("Long day")
1-2-2-1-3 ("without you my friend")
3-5-6-7-6-5-3-3 ("and I'll tell you all about it")
2-1-2-2-3-1 ("when I see you again")


I Can't Make You Love Me
Key: Bb major
Chord Progression (chorus):
Eb, Gb minor, Gb minor Eb (IV-vi-vi-IV)
Eb, Bb/D, Gb minor, C minor (IV-I-vi-ii)
Vocal Melody:
6-5-3-3-2 ("Turn down the lights")
2-3-1-6 ("Turn down the bed")
6-1-5-5 ("Turn down these voices")
3-2-1-2 ("inside my head")