There is something quietly telling about how modern songs are put together. The average English song repeats its central hook three to four times. More recently though, that number seems to have crept up to ten, fifteen, sometimes twenty. This isn’t just a modern creative trend. It exploits a behavioural principle called mere-exposure effect. The apparently (now) proven assumption being that repetition breeds familiarity, and familiarity breeds hits.
Take a second to consider that assumption. Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ (#21 on the 21-24 Rolling Stones Top 50), has the hook/ name repeated only twice. Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ about seven times. It gets even more incredible with with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'”, an 18x Platinum track, repeats its hook exactly three times, and only in the final stretch of the song. These are not obscure exceptions, but rather, among enduring pieces of popular music.
The title song from the recent Bollywood movie Saiyaara is interesting for a different reason: the hook is not repeated excessively within the song itself (probably about 4 times), but fragments of the song are seeded throughout the film, which means even if you watch a part of the movie, the song already starts feeling familiar. Mere exposure effect at play!
Using design and behavioral science as levers provides us with the power to solve complex challenges and create more usable, enjoyable offerings for the world. However, as I have often noted, there is always a trade-off. When the scales of intentionality tip away from the people we innovate for and toward a creator’s selfish objectives, be it sales, streams, or “hit but hollow” status, we move from thoughtful design into the realm of manipulation. We are increasingly gauging the value of music by statistics and “hits” rather than by how it moves the human spirit. And I find this concerning because we are potentially eroding what a younger generation even perceives as “good” music.
It is a fine line between a song that is truly enjoyable and one that has simply conquered your attention through the sheer force of repetition. I am still reflecting on how one might differentiate between the two in a prescriptive manner.
I was wondering how you think about this distinction, or whether, once you are humming along, it simply stops mattering?
How do we ensure our innovations remain human-centric when the metrics of success are so easily gamed?
Where do we draw that line?