By Ella Coulter | April 5 2021 |
Looking to hear some fresh, diverse tunes? CBC Drive is a radio station hosted by Rich Terfry, playing all sorts of genres in addition to highlighting Canadian music. If this sounds new to you, check it out! You tune in to CBC Drive on weekdays from 3pm-6pm on CBC Music. If you’ve listened before, you might have heard of Drive’s fun, interactive, “Distant Cousins” feature, which allows listeners to suggest two songs they think possess striking similarities. Through Twitter, CBC Drive says to its listeners, “If you know a song with the same vibes or sound as another song, tweet us back and let us know @CBCDrive with the hashtag #DistantCousins.”
Here at The Bears Bulletin, we’ve found two songs of our own that are unbelievably similar. The first song, “You’re the Inspiration,” was written by Peter Cetera and David Foster and recorded by Cetera with the group Chicago in 1984. It was hugely popular. The second song only debuted in 2019, as part of the hit movie, Frozen II… Kristoff’s solo, “Lost in the Woods,” written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and sung by Jonathan Groff.
Described as a “true-blue ’80s ballad,” it is no surprise that “Lost in the Woods” reconciles with an authentic ballad from 1984. However, it is surprising that when listening to both jams back-to-back, the two songs are so closely related that they become difficult to distinguish. For starters, the line from Frozen, “you’re my true north,” can easily be compared to the title, “You’re the Inspiration.” Going beyond that, there is a simple keyboard intro in both songs, followed by a tumultuous chord and some cool guitar synth (a distinct feature of 80s music) before the actual lyrics begin. Throughout both songs, the keyboard persists, following simple, similar tunes and keeping a steady beat.
Vocals also bring our attention to another trait specific to Chicago and replicated by this new tune. “You’re the Inspiration” is full of harmonies when different vocalists sing the same words using different notes. “Lost in the Woods” achieves this as well thanks to the backup vocals of Sven, Kristoff’s reindeer. The vocal effects in the movie were incorporated specifically in order to achieve “that stacked Queen-meets-Chicago kind of place.”
Have we convinced you? If you need more proof that these two hits are related, have a listen, and see what you think! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re looking for some new music, or want to hear some other matching songs, make sure to check out CBC Drive Radio as well. Happy listening, KSS!
You’re the Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRfy1yorkec
Lost in the Woods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8jNbZIsBQU
CBC Drive Radio: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/2-5519-drive
By Ella Coulter
Sources:
CBCDrive’s twitter
This is my new favourite article!!
I just listened to both songs- that's wild! But Sven has a special place in my heart.