The new “Meet Visa” commercial has people talking, and much of that talk is about the extremely catchy and fast-paced song that accompanies the commercial message. Says Redditor IamNativeSon, “Keeping remnants of classic jazz in main stream media is cool with me… Kudos Visa” (via Reddit). You might notice this tune sounds familiar yet also not quite the same. That’s because the song is based on a classic jazz original by Dave Brubeck (via Dave Brubeck). Published in 1959, the original version is called “Blue Rondo à la Turk” and is created for a jazz orchestra.
Redditor TheMadHaberdasher explains, to those who know a little bit of music theory, part of why the song sounds different is the time signature: “I heard this during an Olympics commercial and couldn’t quite figure out why it didn’t sound right. The original song is in 9/8 but it sounds like the sample changes it to fit a 4/4 beat.”
The other reason this catchy tune sounds a bit different is because it’s not quite the 1959 original. Instead, it’s a remake released by Universal Music Group called “Jarreau of Rap (Skatt Attack).” The 2019 song is by Nas and features Al Jarreau and Keyon Harrold (via YouTube).
A new take on an old classic
Nas, whose debut studio album “Illmatic” in 1994 received universal critical acclaim and is regarded today as a landmark work in hip hop (via Complex), released “Jarreau of Rap (Skatt Attack)” some 15 years later, on July 12, 2019. The song, distributed by Def Jam Recordings, is a catchy, fast, and upbeat tune, and despite being three years old, clearly has all the makings of a current hit.
The repeating refrain of, “Melody, harmony, melody, harmony, steadily” will stick in your head. Classic jazz artist Al Jarreau’s scatting blends with verses that have aged well, too, with Nas rhyming, “Doubting me they said I would have no longevity, Instead I’m steadily rapping these fundamentals.” While this song originally debuted to mixed reviews and more than a little confusion (via Spin), both the experimental and catchy nature of the track makes it an attention-grabbing match for VISA’s new ad campaign.
And while we can solve the mystery of “what is that song” for viewers at home, we won’t be able to help you get that earworm out of your head anytime soon. Melody, harmony, melody … steadily.
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