The infectious Pharell's 'Happy' was a crowd pleaser at the Oscars and continues to be a frequently played song on the radio today. It's because the song makes you feel so good; it makes you feel positive, lively, excited and most importantly, happy.
French graphic designer and musician Yoann Lemoine, also known as Woodkid, took one of the most joy-filled songs and made a sad remix. Suddenly, the song that made you want to get up and dance will tug at your heart strings. He paired Pharrell's beautiful vocals with a sad instrumental track with a piano-led orchestra. The emotional contrast of both songs is amazing. Despite the same lyrics being sung, two different feelings are produced.
This version of the song may not be dance-able, but sometimes we need a mellow bittersweet song for those days when it's hard to feel happy.
Emotion-Reversed Pop Songs
Woodkid Makes a Sad Remix of Pharell's 'Happy'
Trend Themes
1. Emotion-reversed Remixes - Exploring the emotional contrast by creating remixes that reverse the original mood.
2. Contrasting Lyrics and Instrumentals - Experimenting with the combination of lyrics conveying one emotion and instrumentals conveying a contrasting emotion.
3. Mood Manipulation in Music - Utilizing music as a tool to intentionally manipulate and evoke specific emotions.
Industry Implications
1. Music Production - Opportunity to offer customized emotion-reversed remixes for artists or create original music with contrasting emotional elements.
2. Psychology and Therapy - Application of emotion-reversed music in therapeutic settings to explore the impact of contrasting emotional experiences.
3. Marketing and Advertising - Using emotion-reversed remixes in advertising campaigns to create a unique and unexpected emotional response from consumers.