Millennial whoop

The millennial whoop is a vocal melodic pattern alternating between the fifth note — the dominant —and the third note — the mediant — in a major scale, typically starting on the fifth, in the rhythm of straight 8th-notes, and often using the "wa" and "oh" syllables.^[1] It was used extensively in 2010s pop music.^[2]^[3]

$<< \new Staff { \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"clarinet" \tempo 4 = 120 \relative c' { \time 4/4 \key f \major r8 c'8( a8 c8 a8 c8) r8 c8 r8 c8( a8 c8 a8 c8 a4) } } \drums { ssl4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 } >>$

Millennial whoop on an F major.

Overview

In the slavishly playlisted, gnat's-attention-span world of daytime radio, the Whoop has become a signalling device, often cropping up bang on cue around the one-minute mark, saying: "Hey wait! Don't run away just yet!"

—Music blogger Gavin Haynes^[2]

The term was coined by the musician Patrick Metzger, who described it in a blog entry on The Patterning in August 2016.^[1] He suggested that, while the millennial whoop gained popularity from the late 2000s to 2010s, it has probably always been around.^[4] An earlier use can be heard in the 1984 song "Jungle Love" by The Time, and, arguably, in Baltimora's 1985 hit "Tarzan Boy".^[5]

The 2017 song "Millennial Whoop" by American rock band the Pilgrims was written as a response to the idea of older generations looking down upon the younger for using such tropes: the song makes use of the interval pattern.^[6]

Lawsuit

In 2013 songwriter Ally Burnett sued Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City over their 2012 song "Good Time", arguing similarities to her 2010 song "Ah, It's a Love Song" and its use of the millennial whoop.^[2] Jepsen settled out of court, but Owl City won.^[2]

Uses

Songs where the millennial whoop appears include:

"Jungle Love" (1984, Morris Day and the Time)^[5]
"Tarzan Boy" (1985, Baltimora)^[1] (the B-part of the ABAB-structured chorus)
"DuckTales" (1987, Mark Mueller)^[7]
"Aaya Mausam Dosti Ka" (1989, Maine Pyar Kiya) (parts similar to "Tarzan Boy")^[8]
"In the Shadows" (2003, The Rasmus)^[1]^[2]
"Use Somebody" (2008, Kings of Leon)^[5]
"Tik Tok" (2009, Kesha)^[9]
"Looking for Paradise" (2009, Alejandro Sanz featuring Alicia Keys)^[5]
"Bad Romance" (2009, Lady Gaga)^[5]
"California Gurls" (2010, Katy Perry)^[5]
"Till the World Ends" (2011, Britney Spears)^[5]
"Good Time" (2012, Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City)^[2]
"The Mother We Share" (2012, Chvrches)^[10]
"Habits (Stay High)" (2013, Tove Lo)^[1]
"Really Don't Care" (2013, Demi Lovato featuring Cher Lloyd)^[10]
"Ivy" (2016, Frank Ocean)^[10]
"This Is Me" (2017, from The Greatest Showman) ^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Metzger, Patrick (August 20, 2016). "The Millennial Whoop: A glorious obsession with the melodic alternation between the fifth and the third". The Patterning. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Gavin (August 30, 2016). "The Millennial Whoop: the melodic hook that's taken over pop music". The Guardian.
^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (August 29, 2016). "What is the 'millennial whoop' and why is it in every pop song?". USA Today.
^ Bartleet, Larry (September 1, 2016). "What Is The Millennial Whoop? Once You Hear This Virulent Pop Hook You Won't Be Able To Unhear It". NME. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Epstein, Adam (August 27, 2016). ""The Millennial Whoop": The same annoying whooping sound is showing up in every popular song". Quartz.
^ "The Best Vermont Music of 2017 (So Far) – County Tracks". County Tracks. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
^ NerdSync. "Why the DUCKTALES Theme Song is Stuck in Your Head Right Now...", YouTube. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
^ "10 Bollywood Movies With Blockbuster Soundtracks". MensXP.com. 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
^ Menta, Anna (August 30, 2016). "All Of Today's Pop Songs Are Basically The Exact Same, According To New Theory". Elite Daily.
^ ^a ^b ^c O'Donnell, Carey (August 29, 2016). "The Theory of the "Millennial Whoop" Might Be The Key To A Hit Pop Song". Paper. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
^ "Best Original Song 2018".

External links

Original blog entry on thepatterning.com
Metzger, Patrick (February 28, 2017). "Why do so many pop songs sound the same?". Retrieved 2017-11-14 – via YouTube.

[tp-20160820-1] Metzger, Patrick (August 20, 2016). "The Millennial Whoop: A glorious obsession with the melodic alternation between the fifth and the third". The Patterning. Retrieved 2016-09-19.

[guardian-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Gavin (August 30, 2016). "The Millennial Whoop: the melodic hook that's taken over pop music". The Guardian.

[usatoday-3] Bui, Hoai-Tran (August 29, 2016). "What is the 'millennial whoop' and why is it in every pop song?". USA Today.

[4] Bartleet, Larry (September 1, 2016). "What Is The Millennial Whoop? Once You Hear This Virulent Pop Hook You Won't Be Able To Unhear It". NME. Retrieved 3 September 2016.

[qz-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Epstein, Adam (August 27, 2016). ""The Millennial Whoop": The same annoying whooping sound is showing up in every popular song". Quartz.

[6] "The Best Vermont Music of 2017 (So Far) – County Tracks". County Tracks. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-10-23.

[ns-20171104-7] NerdSync. "Why the DUCKTALES Theme Song is Stuck in Your Head Right Now...", YouTube. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.

[8] "10 Bollywood Movies With Blockbuster Soundtracks". MensXP.com. 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2017.

[elitedaily-9] Menta, Anna (August 30, 2016). "All Of Today's Pop Songs Are Basically The Exact Same, According To New Theory". Elite Daily.

[Paper-10] O'Donnell, Carey (August 29, 2016). "The Theory of the "Millennial Whoop" Might Be The Key To A Hit Pop Song". Paper. Retrieved May 18, 2019.

[11] "Best Original Song 2018".

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