Umu: Hi everyone, my name is Umu and I'm ReacttotheK's channel creator.
Jarod: Hello, it's me, Jarod, a trumpet player.
You may recognize me from some previous seasons of 'Classical Musicians React'
U: So welcome to Jarod's and my Oneus 'Come Back Home' and 'To Be or Not to Be' reaction.
The reason why we are comparing both in this video is because I have heard the live version on Road to Kingdom of 'Come Back Home.'
And when I previewed 'To Be or Not to Be' I found some similarities, aka time signature in them
I'm like hmM!
I really, really want to hear the music video/studio version of 'Come Back Home' and they just released another song that's kind of similar in vibe,
let's react to it
If you are curious about my Road to Kingdom reactions, I did marathon all the performances of the series
And I uploaded my reactions to patreon accessible by all tiers.
I really enjoyed getting to see more sides of Oneus on Road to Kingdom and I really enjoyed watching the 'Come Back Home' performance
probably my favorite performance by them, also I really like their 'Be Mine' cover.
J: So commencing reaction in three
two
one
pa-poww
U: Oh listen to that reverb
Very militaristic snare line, which fits what's going on on screen
J: It has a very regal feel with the placements
on- on the beats, but just in the silence between it's just like we're marching, you know
U: And now we're using lower boom-y percussion
which contrasts from the beginning snare, which was just added back in
J: So emphasis on (beats) 1 and 3 and it has a very
regal feeling, dramatic, as we're in the theater now
U: I love the music hall aesthetic
uh for...
maybe biased reasons? :P
I love keeping this half time and then we have vocal line moved up in range.
Oh, it just keeps going higher and higher.
J: See now we progress into
bababababababa
So we had all that space rhythmically, and now it's getting busy,
the complexity growing as the song progresses.
That's development. That's fun.
U: One two Three four, one two three four
New beat
Trap kinda takes over while we have the orche... stra in the back, quiet
But now orchestra stuff is more forefront.
*singing along with the noises of the song*
J: This is sick
Just like the way the sound moves how it's like grows but then comes back
that fluidit,y that motion of the sound like
that's what we're talking about, we talk about motion that
*explaining the motion with his body*
That's like so sick it's just like aaAAAA, and then the choreography just spells that out visually
I'm, just feeling the song so rhythmically right now
U: That brAAAAOWW instrumental kinda sounds like screams
This section feels more hopeful the gentle textures
J: This song is a movie, this song is a movie, like listen to where we are now and listen to where we came from
and that voice *laughs in amazement*
U: I like the placement of the rap verse here.
They kind of subvert your expectations, which makes this a lot more satisfying
(happy) ugh
J: Oh, that's so sick! See they're combining all the elements and it's like this epic finale, holy cow
U: And then
A little bit of a release that we've been wanting this whole time.
Yeaaah
This song- oH there's more?
Did they slay the beast
Okay, um
Did that one guy have an arrow sticking out of him? (Text on screen: no)
Oh, that's interesting *sings how the video ends*
*singing to figure out what it is* major three
Interesting. Okay. I wanna just immediately jump back to the beginning
Three, two, one
*counting*
So this is a little bit more syncopated, but it seems like the
there's kind of a motif for when certain beats are emphasized
throughout the track because at the very beginning they're hitting on one
two AND three four
AND one I think, so it's a little bit on the on the weak beats,
but then when we shift to the verse it hits on One two Three four
One so one three one instead of one and and
*more counting*
Having such spacious hits, like everything striking at the same time
It builds tension. And so I think having this tension and release throughout the track
fits really well and we'll dive into more, more details when I discuss with Jarod at the very end.
Oh my gosh there's so much happening and it's very cinematic in nature from
the use of just rhythm I think is rhythm is kind of backbone to every song,
especially for individuals like myself who we don't have perfect pitch, so if you're not able to like recognize notes
or maybe not necessarily pinpoint exactly what chords are happening where, you know one thing that's consistent is just rhythm.
Because rhythm is math, rhythm is time, rhythm is just is an experience that we can
you know all break down like you don't need special ears you just need
like you feel- you feel it in your body. And what's really cool there is it starts off in this very, you know
march like, emphasis on one and three like you're- you're marching, you're entering the song, you're entering their story, you're entering their world
and then that develops, you know, we get little motifs like that
bababababa
like the- it starts moving, you know
Space starts to come together, time starts to get faster and drives the momentum forward of the song.
It's really cool when that happens and then you know of course
it gets intense and then it releases a little bit- you get that cool section
where it's like I don't want to talk right now because it's like, it gets very melodical, very lyrical
we enter a different space, a different time, and a different scene to the story that this song tells and that's
really excellent artistry and then the finale is like we take that march, we take the rhythm, we take you know
their great lyrical voices and we put that all together and just create this epic experience all in four minutes and 16 seconds
It was like so cool. So for me rhythmically, this song was so cool and just very exciting.
U: Let's move on to 'To Be or Not to Be' I'm actually really excited to get to this since I heard a few seconds of it
I already started running it through our vetting process that we have where
graduated musicians from the Classical Musicians React series vote on songs
So that we- the like finished reaction could be like super positive, and people would have a lot to say,
and everyone already voted yes (and on Come Back Home too)
So this song is going to be appearing on the classical musicians react season 5
even though I haven't heard it yet
*laughs*
So I'm really excited for this
Three two, three two one
So are we continuing with Romeo and Juliet- or I guess, this is Shakespeare... right?
Theme from Road to Kingdom?
You okay?
Oh
J: Lightning
It's about to get- we got some panning, little dots, sonic dots
The guitar and like, synth piano behind it
creates a very introspective
opening so you have the plucked guitar with the padded keyboard
creates this very, yeah, introspective vibe sonic atmosphere
and of course excellent vocals, such excellent vocals
U: Nice vocal layering
And here's the triple
Interesting, coming in on the pre-chorus.
It's- it's- it's a smooth transition because it kind of fades in
Oh, we're back to duple?
*shook Umu*
Well that's a new thing!
And now we're about to triple
*confusion*
*confusion intensifies*
Da da, and we resolve that leading tone that we ended on
With a totally new vibe
Oh! We have some modal mixture
*singing with the song* or actually-
I'll figure out the key later
J: So now the background's in the chords, rhythm's very short- well now it's long, but earlier it was just like
bam bam bam
creating that tension, that tension and release, and now here we are in a lyrical section,
here where everything is flowing
Contrast. Contrast is key.
Ending on that leading tone that went
*sings what he's talking about* *coughs*
But that's the leading tone I'm talking about
*singing the percussion part*
Super dramatic well mixed percussion
A little dudududu synth
So many times k-pop songs use the pre-chorus
Triple to transition to a chorus in triple, so this really shocked me, when it goes back to subdivisions of two
*clapping and counting*
*excited* And then it goes back!
Love the guitar doubled both sides
J: I love this like vocoder-esque synthesized voice experience, that's such a cool sound.
Because now the voice and the lyrics and the song
like, you know, the singers can turn into a chordal instrument, which is- I think I was excited
U: ooooooo
noooooooooo
okayyyyyyy
whyyyyyyyyyy
Noooo
okayyy
J: The show must go on, the show must go on
U: WE DO NOT CONDONE GUN VIOLENCEEEEEEE
Gun people, go away!
I'm getting some Jiraiya versus pain vibes, like I have to complete the mission.
*laughs* but
Vocoder, synthesizer, rhythmic floaty bits, again epic finales.
U: It ends on the leading tone why do you do that?
And then it ends on the leading tone, again. (*note: the note that just played is tonic, not the leading tone, Umu just heard it as a half-step lower LOL)
There we go, there's tonic
What the f**WOWWW***k
Wait. Wait, wait, wait wait wait, wait wait wait wait
Wait (x infinity)
*confusion*
J: I love that at the end because at first I was just like oh, okay they chose to be, like they put the crown on but then you have this mysterious ending and you're like, oh
that's the that's the question mark at the end of the story.
U: *singing the note as she talks* So that that note at the end that's like what I kept saying mentioning tonic
this is where we feel most resolved and at home so we have this note at the bottom
and then in this except it kind of goes like this it slides in
And this note tells us whether the key that we're in is major or minor
*singing the example*
Tells us it's minor
*singing a different example*
tells us it's major.
And that that little last note at the end
It starts in minor and then like slides up to major and then slides back down to minor
That was fun. I was absolutely, my breath was taken away by the music video.
I was really, really amazed by the aesthetics and storyline,
so I'm going to close my eyes and go back into the chorus, because I was definitely shocked about
the whole meter changes stuffs in this one.
I love-
Nice we have like a little guitar slide that transitions us to the course, which is...
Honestly the chorus it isn't
right in feeling but also it isn't as
dense and dark
as shown in the music video.
It- it doesn't have like the wall of sound, or dramatic-ness that 'Come Back Home' has
it is a little bit more
has an energy maybe that I wouldn't imagine to happen with the music video, except this section
*singing*
So that's that's a one flat two one that shows us it's in phrygian, 1:50, three two one
*more singing*
But that's a major three so that means we are in... phrygian dominant?
Okay, let's go discuss with Jarod.
J: Oh my goodness gracious
U: Oh, yes, I agree
J: What was catching my ear was just like how they ended phrases on leading tones
The entire time I'm thinking of just like oh "to be or not to be" it's like this this question mark of a (U: Mm) statement
And (U: Mm) then to have these phrases end on a leading tone. I was like, it makes sense! What the heck?
U: Yeah what I found, for both tracks, I felt what the importance was for the first track was
the rhythmic flow and rhythmic development, while on the second track it was
yeah, the melody the- the instrumental ambiance, and yeah how they ended their (J: Yeah) phrases.
J: Dude, we're such on the same page, because the first track I was like- I was like
what- I was like the way I experience and feel this song is totally in the rhythm, what I love about both songs,
but what I really appreciate the first one was the way they develop and execute a finale to the song.
U: Mm, mhm J: Because you because basically you have all you have all these elements
you bring them all together and like it makes sense and it's like so much happened- U: And you change it up
just tiny bit. J: Just- just- just a tiny bit, but all- just a tiny bit, but all of the key components of each element are still there
so you're still experiencing it, so basically I'm just like
I have the lyrical section I really liked, I have all the rhythmic components that were like just- just you know
also creating a great experience, just happening like kind of all at the same time and you're just kind of in this musical euphoria.
U: Which one was your favorite? J: I think 'Come Back Home' was (U: Same) just because the entire time I was just like
woOWWww
U: Yeah. J: I mean, not to say that I wasn't for 'To Be or Not to Be' but like
the bar was just set, like it was just elevated the entire time (U: Mhm). This is like, yeah, I think that's my favorite.
U: I think also t- uh, 'Come Back Home' is a lot more satisfying to go half time when we had so many
dadadadadadadadadadadada
So many subdivisions right before, (J: Right) and then to go into this huge sound that just feels so good, while
in 'To Be or Not to Be' it's less satisfying when going back to duple
I feel like (J: Mhm)because you're you're suddenly feeling this new bigger feel and then
When you go back to this rigid duple, it's like, oh we're jolted back to something else
However, I did- I think I enjoyed my first listen of 'To Be or Not to Be' more than I did enjoy my first listen to 'Come Back Home' because
Because (J: Mm) I was- there's a lot more unexpected areas and I love not being able to predict stuff
Um, but on re-listens, I like 'Come Back Home' better.
J: You know, I think, yeah, I think that nails it right on the head there.
U: All right. Yo, everyone. Thanks so much for hanging out with us.
Which one is your favorite? And yeah, thanks so much for coming and we'll see you next time.
Okay, bye. J: Bye bye