The song that I have decided for my music critique is “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles. This song was written by R&B singer Percy Mayfield and firstly recorded in 1960. Not until 1961 when the song got global recognition after it was sung by Ray Charles. In this rendition, Ray Charles is singing and playing the piano as well as backup singers are present. It was stated that this record destroyed the billboard charts for quite some time back then. It obtained a numerous amount of rewards and accolades, as it was in the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” This type of song is considered to be soul jazz where it embodies both R&B and soul music elements. The overall rhythm of this piece is catchy, and the concept contains some sentimentalism. …show more content…
This beat is certainly a finger-snapping one as it sounds very melodious. Even in the video of this recording, the backup singers start off snapping their fingers as the beat emerges. Speaking of the backup singers, they slowly make their way on the song as the beat comes in. I for one depict their singing as dynamic. The singers demonstrate a crescendo-like vocal where they gradually get louder. Not to mention, they’re in complete unison as their singing the lyrics. Further in the song, Ray Charles comes in with his vocals. One interesting thing I noticed was that Ray Charles was responding to the backup singers. It appeared that the lyrics of this song seemed almost like a conversation, an unpleasant one at