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I’m seeing antis hating on side effects again on the tl so I present to you:
why side effects by stray kids is a musical masterpiece — a thread by a classically trained musician !! https://twitter.com/moonsungie/status/1291083570807791616
why side effects by stray kids is a musical masterpiece — a thread by a classically trained musician !! https://twitter.com/moonsungie/status/1291083570807791616
there are SO many elements that come together to make side effects what it is, so here are my thoughts on it! I’m a classically trained musician + almost finished with my degree in performance, and I’ve taken multiple music theory courses (even though I hated them lol)+
SO I have knowledge and my thoughts aren’t just coming from nowhere. I’ll be analysing certain parts of the song the way I was taught, and I’ve included timestamps if you’d like to listen along w me! I’ll try not to use too much music terminology :’)
0:00-0:15; the intro is p straightforward. they use simple chords in a minor key (basically, major keys generally sound “happy” and minor keys sound “sad”), so you know this isn’t necessarily going to be a cheerful song, but the atmosphere is relatively chill.+
that’s why when the singing actually starts (0:16-0:30), it’s like a bucket of icy water over your head — the voices are in a REALLY low register (with an effect added to make their voices buzzy and unnatural).+
the instrumentals are also jarring, especially when contrasted w the echoey piano chords in the intro. the low, growly voices + the instrumentals catch you off-guard and instantly create a very ominous atmosphere+
the prechorus (0:31-0:42) starts w/ the sharper percussion dropped out to allow for growth of energy later, when it's closer to the chorus.+
tension + intensity increases w/ jisung’s verse bc they add more layers for a “thicker” texture, and triplets (3 notes where there are usually 2) in the baseline + percussion to make it feel like there’s a shift in the meter. all of this serves to ramp up the tension.+
0:44-1:00; the iconic agitated SCREAM. I’m sure ppl have talked about how skz sampled the pharmacy ad stating diff side effects; it’s so clever + rlly makes you listen closer. the instrumentals are harsh and buzzy — it’s not meant to sound pleasant, it’s meant to sound jarring.+
1:30-1:44; again, great example of how they ramped up the tension through sound!! the triplets in the bassline returns, BUT changbin doesn’t rap in triple meter — his rapping is in TWO — and it gives everything an unsettled, disorienting feeling. (changbin rap genius !!)+
1:45; SUCH a tormented scream!!! it sounds very primal and even more intense than the first one, like someone in genuine agony.+
2:01-2:30; same chords as the intro. it lulls you into a false sense of security, but actually increases the tension; it’s calm now but you can't shake the feeling that all hell will break loose later. they increase rhythmic intensity + thicken the texture until+
2:31-2:35; the background drops out + we hear felix’s groan/sigh. you can literally hear the sound of his breath. they use silence/space in this moment to create SO MUCH TENSION, like a rubber band stretched to its limit and about to snap.+
it makes you hold ur breath when felix says “meori apeuda.” this is the same line that was full-out screamed earlier, but now it’s slower and so low and quiet that it’s actually somehow MORE terrifying
2:35; this time the chorus starts without the pharm ad, adding variability. there’s also another synth(?) line several octaves higher than the baseline that ups the intensity. you can also hear chromatically ascending/descending lines that ramp up the energy + add to the chaos.+
TLDR; side effects shows how they were able to effectively control the tension/contour of the entire song without letting it peak too early. it's musically unsettling bc they keep switching from duplets to triplets in the bass + heightening n lowering the energy throughout+
and if you think the instrumentals sound harsh, ur absolutely right. side effects is MEANT to sound harsh, it's MEANT to sound jarring and out-of-control. skz did this to convey the idea of chaos, confusion, + agitation not only through the lyrics, but also through SOUND itself.
and none of my analysis even touches on the meaning behind the lyrics; this is all purely analysis of the song 's sound and structure. when ppl say that side effects is a good song, they have MORE than enough reason to say so.
ALSO — just wanted to add that if you personally don’t like side effects, that is perfectly ok!! ppl have different tastes in music — that’s why it’s so diverse! but there’s a huge difference between saying you simply dislike a song and sh*tting on a song + its creators.
in my personal opinion, side effects is one of stray kids’ BEST tracks to date bc of its meaning and bc of how unique it is !!
I could go on and on about how amazing this song is; I left out a LOT of details + things I wanted to say bc I wanted to keep things simple + short...but gosh side effects is truly incredible! stray kids are incredible !!
adding this to clarify: changbin’s rap in the prechorus is in simple meter (each beat divides into 2), + the bass/percussion is in compound meter (each beat divides into 3). the 2 over 3 is what throws the listener off! I realised I accidentally said “triple meter” instead 
