Nine Inch Nails – Closer – Chorus
Closer < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘Cm7’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Now, let’s break down the specific chords used in the chorus:
“`F Major (‘IV’)
C Minor 7 (‘i7’)“`
The F chord represents the IV (major fourth) in C minor key. A typical feature of pop music is the extensive use of borrowed chords, which are chords borrowed from the parallel major or minor scale. However, in this case, the F and Cm7 are both diatonic to (or naturally occurring in) the key of C minor – no borrowed chords here. The simplicity of this pattern brought by the repetition of F and the use of a single minor 7th chord adds to the hypnotic, transfixing quality of the song.
Similar Chord Progressions
The Taylor Swift song “Shake It Off” uses a similar progression, although in a different key, repeating the same chord for four measures (C/G) before switching to a minor 7th (Am7).
Shake It Off’s Chorus:
“`C/G Major (‘I’)
A Minor 7 (‘vi7’)“`
Bear in mind that the use of this progression and how it’s alike is only on a surface level – the genre, arrangement, and mood of these songs are highly distinctive.
Musical Analysis
The deliberate use of a mere two chords emphasizes droning and simplicity. It is indicative of the industrial genre which Nine Inch Nails represents. The chords are played on synthesizers, adding layers of sonic texture to them. This synthesizer-centered approach is a defining feature of most industrial and electronic music, which Nine Inch Nails helped to pioneer.
Overall Analysis
The chorus of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails is built around a progression that oscillates between a single major chord, F, and a single minor seventh chord, Cm7. This is quite minimalistic. Major chords usually have a happy, positive feel, while minor chords induce a somewhat sad, introspective mood. The use of C minor 7th gives a particular color to the progression: it’s a minor chord with an added minor seventh, which means it’s a bit less stable than a regular minor chord.
Style Analysis
Nine Inch Nails’ style in “Closer” is intensified by the alternating pattern of two chords, establishing a steady backdrop for the lyrics and melody. This adds to the song’s atmosphere, a brooding yet vibrant setting. Nine Inch Nails is known for their aggressive, dark industrial sound, and “Closer”, despite its seemingly simple cornerstone, is no different.
What are the chords in: Nine Inch Nails – Closer – Chorus?
[‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘Cm7’]
