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]

This article is about the melodic pattern. For the Millennial generation, see Millennials.
<< \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 appear include:

See also

References
  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.
  2. Haynes, Gavin (August 30, 2016). "The Millennial Whoop: the melodic hook that's taken over pop music". The Guardian.
  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.
  5. 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.
  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.
  9. Menta, Anna (August 30, 2016). "All Of Today's Pop Songs Are Basically The Exact Same, According To New Theory". Elite Daily.
  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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