The purpose of this blog is to create an outlet for SUU Communication graduate students engaged in the critical analysis of popular culture artifacts to post insightful contributions to our understanding of popular culture.
Friday, February 6, 2026
Why Charlie Puth Makes So Much Sense, Especially This Week
I didn’t plan to write about Charlie Puth this week, but I had just watched a reel of him breaking down why so many songs sound alike. Suddenly it kind of felt like he was accidentally teaching a segment of our class...
In the clip, Charlie Puth sits at a piano and starts breaking down how the same chord progressions show up across a lot of hit songs. He plays them one after another, moving between different artists, and once he points it out, it’s hard not to hear it. On the surface, the songs feel different. The lyrics change, the production changes, the overall mood shifts. But underneath all of that, they’re built on the same harmonic structure.
That’s what immediately brought Adorno to mind. In “On Popular Music,” he argues that popular music is fundamentally standardized. Even when songs sound new or innovative, their underlying framework is already in place. The chorus lands where we expect it to, the harmony resolves in familiar ways, and the emotional payoff is essentially built into the system. For Adorno, this kind of repetition isn’t accidental. It shapes how listeners respond and encourages a more passive form of listening.
Watching Puth explain these similarities feels like a modern version of that argument, even if he isn’t making it critically. He seems genuinely intrigued by the patterns, but the result's the same. Certain formulas work and trigger recognizable emotional responses, and the industry continues to rely on them.
At the same time, Sellnow’s “illusion of life” perspective complicates the picture. Music symbolizes intensity and release patterns. Certain chord progressions create tension; others provide resolution. If those emotional structures are widely shared and culturally recognizable, then repetition might not simply reflect industrial standardization. It may also reflect the use of a shared musical language that allows artists to communicate emotion efficiently and effectively.
So when Charlie Puth shows us that multiple hit songs use the same musical framework, I wonder if it's proof of Adorno’s culture industry, or proof that humans gravitate toward familiar emotional rhythms. And if songs are similar, remixing them becomes easier and more fluid. Basically, shared musical architecture makes borrowing almost inevitable.
So now I’m sitting here honestly wondering... If you found out your favorite song shares the exact same chord progression as ten other hits, would it lose meaning for you?
This post really shows how media theory can appear in everyday moments, like a Charlie Puth Instagram reel. His explanation of repeated chords really connects well to Adorno’s idea that popular music is standardized. Once those patterns are pointed out, it’s hard not to hear how similar many songs are. At the same time, Sellnow’s idea of the “illusion of life” adds another layer. Repetition may not just be about the music industry, but about shared emotional patterns that listeners easily recognize. Personally, I don’t think a song loses meaning just because it shares a structure. It just makes me listen more critically. It can also make for a fun “what do you think of when you hear these chords” type game.
I really liked how you connected Charlie Puth’s breakdown to Adorno’s idea of standardization. When you explained that songs feel different on the surface but share the same harmonic structure underneath, that made Adorno’s argument way easier to understand. I agree that the music industry probably sticks to formulas because they know certain chord progressions create emotional reactions that listeners expect. I also like your point about Sellnow’s “illusion of life.” Maybe repetition isn’t just laziness or control by the culture industry. It could also be a shared musical language that helps artists connect with people. If I found out my favorite song had the same chord progression as others, I don’t think it would lose meaning. The lyrics, voice, and memories attached to it still make it personal.
I loved your example with Charlie Puth (and your fabulous timing in watching a reel about him breaking down the songs), because it feels like one of those moments where pop culture accidentally teaches theory. Once you hear how many songs share the same chord progressions, it’s hard to unhear it. That’s why your connection to Adorno makes so much sense. His idea that popular music is standardized shows up clearly in what Puth is demonstrating. Repetition isn’t only about the culture industry playing it safe, it’s also about artists tapping into emotions listeners already know how to feel.Familiarity can be comforting in a world of uncertainty. It can also lull us into a false sense of comfort, making repetition feel meaningful even when it’s doing most of the emotional work for us.
This post really shows how media theory can appear in everyday moments, like a Charlie Puth Instagram reel. His explanation of repeated chords really connects well to Adorno’s idea that popular music is standardized. Once those patterns are pointed out, it’s hard not to hear how similar many songs are. At the same time, Sellnow’s idea of the “illusion of life” adds another layer. Repetition may not just be about the music industry, but about shared emotional patterns that listeners easily recognize. Personally, I don’t think a song loses meaning just because it shares a structure. It just makes me listen more critically. It can also make for a fun “what do you think of when you hear these chords” type game.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you connected Charlie Puth’s breakdown to Adorno’s idea of standardization. When you explained that songs feel different on the surface but share the same harmonic structure underneath, that made Adorno’s argument way easier to understand. I agree that the music industry probably sticks to formulas because they know certain chord progressions create emotional reactions that listeners expect. I also like your point about Sellnow’s “illusion of life.” Maybe repetition isn’t just laziness or control by the culture industry. It could also be a shared musical language that helps artists connect with people. If I found out my favorite song had the same chord progression as others, I don’t think it would lose meaning. The lyrics, voice, and memories attached to it still make it personal.
ReplyDeleteI loved your example with Charlie Puth (and your fabulous timing in watching a reel about him breaking down the songs), because it feels like one of those moments where pop culture accidentally teaches theory. Once you hear how many songs share the same chord progressions, it’s hard to unhear it. That’s why your connection to Adorno makes so much sense. His idea that popular music is standardized shows up clearly in what Puth is demonstrating. Repetition isn’t only about the culture industry playing it safe, it’s also about artists tapping into emotions listeners already know how to feel.Familiarity can be comforting in a world of uncertainty. It can also lull us into a false sense of comfort, making repetition feel meaningful even when it’s doing most of the emotional work for us.
ReplyDelete