If you’ve been hungry for a new pop anthem, “123 (feat. Joe Bills)” by Becca Rogers will be your next obsession. This song uses every pop production trick, and hosts possibly the catchiest chorus ever written. Not to mention, the momentum this song carries into the beat drop is incredibly gratifying.
The intro presents a catchy synth-mallet riff, ornamented with a distant, reverb-doused vocal motif. The verse lyrics chime, “I saw you across the dance floor tonight…” and the scene is already set–a bar or club, two people meeting eyes, and the possibility of an amorous interaction. The singer’s voice slides into the verse structure perfectly, with just the right amount of rasp and clarity.
The chorus hits with a slick drum fill, and suddenly the groove overwhelms the sound. Hi-hats chirp with crispy sixteenth notes. The bass and the kick play off one another, emphasizing moments in the melody. The snare firmly holds down every other beat. It’s impossible not to at least bob your head to it. The melody jumps dramatically from low to high, sprinkling in some really unorthodox yet viscerally satisfying notes. The lyrics rhyme in all the right spots, which sounds like it shouldn’t matter much, but it bolsters the flow of this chorus. The line, “I’m standing right here, why are you over there?” provides the ideal tagline, as well as a sick vocal run. So much about this chorus is done with such attention to detail. It’s almost impossible to mention it all.
If you want to hear about the rest of this song, you ought to just listen to it. It’s worth your time. Some people just know how to write and produce a great melody, and it’s clear that Becca Rogers is one of those people.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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